KIEV, July 25 (RIA Novosti) – The United States will provide financial support to Ukrainian government troops by allocating them $33 million by the end of this year, US ambassador to Ukraine, Geoffrey Pyatt said at a briefing on Friday.
According to the diplomat, Washington increased its military aid to Ukrainian forces up to $33 million.
Pyatt specified that the money will be distributed within the framework of different programs. Helping Ukraine to protect its national borders is one of the top priority ones, he added.
Earlier in June, Kiev’s Channel 5 reported that the United States had given Ukrainian troops 1.5 thousand personal first-aid kits following the request by the Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. These supplies came as part of the non-lethal aid package for Ukrainian army, which also includes American bulletproof vests, night vision equipment, portable radio sets and other munitions worth a total of $23 million.
Over the recent months the self-defense forces managed to gain control over a number of areas on the border with Russia.
Kiev authorities have been conducting a military operation against independence supporters in eastern Ukraine since mid-April. Moscow had repeatedly condemned their punitive actions, which led to hundreds of casualties among civilians.
