What the latest U.S. military aid to Ukraine can tell us about the state of the war
LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Another huge weapons package is on its way to Ukraine. President Biden made the announcement yesterday, which brings the total cost of weaponry being provided to at least $1 billion since Russia invaded three weeks ago today. But more important than the price tag is the kind of weapons that the U.S. will be providing and what it says about the current state of war. To explain all this, we're joined by NPR national security correspondent Greg Myre. Hi, Greg.
GREG MYRE, BYLINE: Hi, Leila.
FADEL: So, Greg, what kind of weapons is President Biden sending to the Ukrainians?
MYRE: Right. So this is the biggest package yet - $800 million. And there's three key items, all considered quite urgent. One is the Javelin missile. This is - we've been hearing a lot about this. These have been very effective in destroying Russian tanks, perhaps the single most potent weapon in Ukraine's arsenal. There's also the Stinger anti-aircraft missile. These are already being used to bring down low-flying Russian planes and helicopters and, again, been very effective. And one important new item - a drone, which the U.S. has not been supplying to Ukraine previously. It's going to send a hundred of these drones, and they'll reportedly be a type that's so small a soldier can actually just carry it in his backpack before taking it out and using it.
FADEL: OK, so with these weapons being provided in mind, what does it tell us about the way Ukrainians are fighting back the Russians?
MYRE: Yeah, it really shows how the Ukrainians are relying on agile, nimble, portable weapon systems, in contrast to the Russians who have more powerful weapons, like tanks and heavy artillery guns, but they can't maneuver as easily or as quickly. Now, with these missiles we've mentioned, one person puts the weapon on the shoulder, just points and shoots. This allows a small unit or even an individual to carry out an effective ambush of, say, a tank. And with the drones, the U.S. will reportedly be sending one that's formally known as the Switchblade, though it's often referred to as a kamikaze drone because they don't actually fire a weapon; the soldier just uses it and guides it to the target, and then it releases an explosive charge. And the Russians still have a big advantage when it comes to traditional manned aircraft, but these - and these small drones won't completely close that gap. But as one official said, they are intended to deliver a punch.
FADEL: So let's talk about the skies over Ukraine. Ukrainian officials still calling for MiG fighter planes and for a no-fly zone. When I was in Kyiv this week, there were signs everywhere asking for NATO to close the skies. Any movement on either of these issues?
MYRE: Leila, no, not really. And it really doesn't look like either of these proposals will go forward. These MiG planes belong to Poland, but they're relatively small in number, and they're older planes. The U.S. said it would take a lot of effort to keep them going and keep them in service, and they probably wouldn't make a big difference. Now, the U.S. was also opposed to a no-fly zone because the first step you'd have to take would be to attack Russian air defenses on the ground or confront Russian planes in the sky, so the expectation would almost certainly be combat with Russia. President Biden says he's not going to let that happen.
FADEL: So Russia's war started three weeks ago today, as I mentioned. Ukraine has put up a huge fight. What should we be looking for next on the battlefield?
MYRE: Leila, we seem to be at a stage where there's going to be big battles for the capital Kyiv and other major cities but with both sides fighting in very different ways. The Russian forces are essentially parked outside these cities. The shelling they unleash keeps getting more and more intense. They want to encircle the cities and pound the Ukrainians into submission. Now, the Ukrainians can't stop these artillery attacks, but they have been able to prevent the large Russian armored columns from entering the cities. The Ukrainians want to remain highly mobile and block all the entrance routes to the cities. And these U.S. weapons, which have been flowing and will now come in even larger quantities, are designed to do exactly that.
FADEL: NPR's Greg Myre. Thank you so much.
MYRE: My pleasure.
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