US announces $400 mln in new arms aid to Ukraine including tactical bridges, ammunition

 
INA-sources
 
The United States announced a new military aid package for Ukraine on Friday worth $400 million primarily comprised of ammunition, but for the first time will include tactical bridges to move tanks and armored vehicles.
 
The bridges could be used by Ukrainian troops who have been training in "combined arms maneuver" warfare, which is the coordinated use of artillery shelling, alongside tank and armored vehicle attack movements, to retake territory seized by Russian forces since they invaded Ukraine a year ago.
 
The additional ammunition is being sent to help boost stocks in anticipation of a spring offensive.
 
"Assault bridging is essential for combined arms operations. It allows armored vehicles to cross narrow rivers and ditches that would otherwise cause a whole force to slow down," said Jack Watling, a Senior Research Fellow for Land Warfare at the London-based Royal United Services Institute.
 
"Importantly, assault bridges are only critical for offensive operations showing that the US is preparing Ukraine to continue retaking its territory," Watling added.
 
Source: Reuters