US, Germany sending weapons to Ukraine as Russia advances; Details of new military aid for Ukraine from US, allies; Ukrainian dreams of retaking Kherson hinge on Western weapons; Russian military has lost ’20-30%’ of troops in Ukraine, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

By admin On Jun 16, 2022

US, Germany sending weapons to Ukraine as Russia advances:

The Russian military said it used long-range missiles Wednesday to destroy a depot in the western Lviv region of Ukraine where ammunition for NATO-supplied weapons was stored, and the governor of a key eastern city acknowledged Russian forces are advancing in heavy fighting.

The battle for Sievierodonetsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas area has become the focus of Russia’s offensive in recent weeks.

Russia-backed separatists accused Ukrainian forces of sabotaging an evacuation of civilians from the city’s besieged Azot chemical plant, where about 500 civilians and an unknown number of Ukrainian fighters are believed to be sheltering from missile attacks. It wasn’t possible to verify that claim.

Russian officials had announced a humanitarian corridor from the Azot plant a day earlier, but said they would take civilians to areas controlled by Russian, not Ukrainian, forces.

The Ukrainian governor of Luhansk, Serhiy Haidai, told The Associated Press that “heavy fighting in Sievierodonetsk continues today as well.” The Luhansk and Donetsk regions make up the Donbas. —>READ MORE HERE

Details of new military aid for Ukraine from US, allies:

The $1 billion package of military assistance the U.S. announced for Ukraine on Wednesday is aimed at bolstering the country’s ability to push back Russian advances in the eastern Donbas region. Several European nations added their own contributions, as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrapped up a meeting of more then 45 nations in Brussels to discuss Ukraine’s security needs.

The aid reflects Ukraine’s needs for longer-range rocket and missile systems that will allow it to target Russian troops and locations from farther away, thus making strikes less likely for Ukrainian forces.

The $1 billion package is the largest single tranche of aid provided by the U.S. since the war began on Feb. 24. It includes $350 million in rapid, off-the-shelf deliveries by the Pentagon and $650 million in other longer-term purchases. All combined, the U.S. has now committed about $6.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration, including approximately $5.6 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24.