The United States is closely monitoring the rate of ammunition consumption by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to meet their needs.
This was announced by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian Affairs Laura Cooper at a briefing at the Pentagon.
“We are closely monitoring their ammunition consumption rates to make sure they have what they need to counterattack,” Cooper said.
She also expressed confidence that the additional HIMARS systems that the United States is providing in the new aid package will strengthen Ukraine's capabilities on the battlefield.
“The US is providing additional ammunition, but we are also investing in ammunition production. And we see that our allies and partners are investing in ammunition production. We met last week with allies and defense directors to discuss ways to ensure the continuity of the industrial base to continue to support Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia is turning to North Korea and Iran for help,” she added.
Cooper said U.S. ammunition production is ramping up.
“Over time, we will have a sustainable rate of production for both ourselves and the Ukrainians,” she says.
In addition, commenting on the question of whether the United States is considering providing Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles, Cooper said that currently HIMARS installations allow the Armed Forces to hit most targets on the battlefield.
“We think that they (HIMARS – ed.) can achieve most goals, including in Crimea,” said a Pentagon spokeswoman.
Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Oksana Markarova confirmed that Kyiv is discussing with the United States the supply of missiles that have a range higher than that of the HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems.