After The Switchblade Drone, The United States Immediately Trains The Ukrainian Military To Use Howitzers

Illustration of Ukrainian military firing a howitzer. (Wikimedia Commons/Ministry of Defense of Ukraine/Photo military journalist Taras Gren)

JAKARTA - United States military officials said they hoped to start training the Ukrainian military using howitzer artillery from Washington in the next few days.

Last week, US President Joe Biden announced an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine, expanding aid to include heavy artillery, ahead of a wider Russian offensive expected in eastern Ukraine.

So far, four weapons flights have been delivered by the United States as part of the new package.

The United States plans to teach Ukrainian trainers how to use some of the new weapons such as howitzers and radars, then the trainers will instruct their Ukrainian counterparts.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said howitzer training would take place outside Ukraine.

Previously, the Washington military had previously trained the Ukrainian military on the use of Switchblade drones.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said a Russian missile strike killed seven people in Lviv on Monday, the first civilian casualty in the western city, and the commander of Ukrainian troops holding out in the devastated southeastern port of Mariupol called on the pope for help.

According to US defense officials, Russia appears to be aiming at military targets in Lviv and the capital Kyiv in the north. Mariupol is still up for grabs, as Russia appears to have sent reinforcements to Ukraine in recent days, the official added.

"Our assessment is Mariupol is still being fought for. (it) remains under threat from the air but from both missile and bomb attacks from the air, and of course artillery," the official said.

Furthermore, the official said there are about 76 Russian battalion tactical groups in southern and eastern Ukraine, an increase of about 11 in recent days.

Over the weekend Russia's Defense Ministry said its anti-aircraft system in the Odesa region shot down a Ukrainian transport plane delivering weapons supplied by Western governments.

In this regard, the official said the United States had no information to suggest that was true.