The Pentagon announced on Thursday that the United States will provide air defence systems and missile support to Ukraine as part of a new $400 million security assistance package.

“Additional air defence capabilities are critical intended Russia’s relentless and brutal air strikes against Ukraine’s civilian and critical infrastructure” Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters, according to AFP news. The package includes four short-range, high-mobility Avenger air defence systems supplied to Ukraine for the first time, and Stinger missiles fired by these systems. The package also includes missiles, artillery and mortar shells for HAWK air defence systems, ammunition for HIMARS precision rocket launchers and more than 20 million small arms ammunition, which Spain has agreed to supply. HAWK missiles will be upgraded with funds from the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which pays for the supply of equipment from the defence industry. Other materials in the package will be sourced from the current US inventory.

With this aid package, the total security support provided by the United States to Ukraine exceeds $18.6 billion. The security support announcement comes a day after top US General Mark Milley said that more than 100,000 Russian military personnel had been killed or wounded in Ukraine and that Kyiv forces likely suffered similar losses. Milley also said that meetings could be held to end the war and that military victory would not be possible for either Russia or Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia announced on Thursday that its forces have begun withdrawing from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. Regarding Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson, Singh said, “We are seeing some signs that Russian forces are withdrawing from the city of Kherson, but it is too early to make a full assessment of what this means.”