According To Sources, The US Delivered Hundreds Of Stinger Anti-Aircraft Missiles To Ukraine This Week
According to a US official and a congressional source briefed on the topic, the US has sent hundreds of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine for the first time in the recent few days, including over 200 on Monday.
The US granted the green light earlier this year to Baltic countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia to deliver American-made weaponry to Ukraine, including Stingers. However, until now, the Biden administration had resisted sending the Stingers directly to Ukraine, despite providing other dangerous weapons.
For months, some members of Congress have pushed for more Stinger missiles to be supplied to Ukraine.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Tony Blinken assured reporters that Ukraine can still obtain "critical defensive military equipment" that it requires.
The US produces several versions of Stingers, and US officials have been careful not to provide the Ukrainians the most recent model in case they slip into the hands of Russians looking to steal US technology.
German officials said earlier this week that they will provide 1,000 antitank weapons and 500 Stinger missiles to Ukraine, reversing their previous stance of not transferring arms to Ukraine during the crisis.