Captions will look like this

At the White House on Thursday, President Biden announced an additional $800 million in military aid for the Ukrainians.

Yahoo NewsYahoo News

The first shipments of the Biden administration's $800 million military aid package have arrived in Ukraine. The first round of weapons include 18 155mm howitzers, as well as another 72 cannons that were announced this week. A senior U.S. defense official said that the howitzers heading to Ukraine will have a significant impact on the Ukrainian army.

What is a howitzer?

Spanish army soldiers fire a 155 mm howitzer artillery cannon during training exercises in Germany.
Spanish army soldiers fire a 155 mm howitzer artillery cannon during training exercises at the Grafenwoehr military training grounds in Germany in May 2021. (Lennart Preiss/Getty Images)

A howitzer is a cannon that is placed at a steep angle of descent. The cannons can fire up to four rounds per minute. The weapons were used by the Czechs in the 15th century. The word "howitzer" has been used to describe these weapons.

How many are the U.S. sending to Ukraine?

The Department of Defense confirmed that 18 155mm howitzers would be sent to Ukraine. An additional 72 howitzers, 72 tactical vehicles, and 144,000 rounds will be sent to Ukraine in a second $800 million military aid package announced by Biden on Thursday. The weapons are from the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.

A U.S. Army soldier carrying a 155 mm mortar round.
A U.S. Army soldier carrying a 155 mm mortar round during a training exercise in Afghanistan in 2013. (Andrew Burton/Reuters)

A senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Wednesday that howitzer rounds, which are used for cannons, arrived in Europe on Tuesday. The official said that there would be more arriving in the coming days.

Will Ukrainians be trained to use them?

The training of Ukrainian soldiers on how to use howitzers has begun, according to a defense official. The official told the Washington Examiner that the training was not in Ukraine.

A round is fired from an M777 howitzer cannon.
A round is fired from an M777 howitzer cannon during a mission in Afghanistan in 2011. (David Goldman/AP)

According to the Military Times, John Kirby said that there were no plans to deploy U.S. troops to handle the training.

Why send howitzers?

The U.S. sent howitzers to the Ukrainians. The cannons will play a significant role in the new battle for the Donbas region, which consists of flat, rolling plains, a defense official told Stars and Stripes.

Soldiers fire a 155 mm howitzer at insurgent positions in Afghanistan.
Soldiers fire a 155 mm howitzer at insurgent positions in Afghanistan in 2012. (Tim Wimborne/Reuters)

The Pentagon spokesman said on Thursday that the weapons sent by the U.S. have been in full consultation with the Ukrainians.

Kirby said that the Ukrainians believe that the systems will be helpful to them in the fight.

_____

How are Ukrainian forces taking out so many Russian tanks? Use this embed to learn about some of the weapons systems the U.S. is sending to the Ukrainian army.

Our goal is to create a safe and engaging place for users to connect over interests and passions. In order to improve our community experience, we are temporarily suspending article commenting
  • Over the past four decades, Carol Guzy has witnessed death and destruction. The four-time Pulitzer Prize winner has documented the humanitarian toll of some of the world's most horrendous wars and natural disasters. There was something different about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine from the beginning. She gives a candid look at her time covering the war in Ukraine.

  • The United States military and the State Department are working with a non-profit to help meet the needs of the Ukrainian armed forces.

  • Few know that Amazon has millions of Prime subscribers.

  • The U.S. is about to send more military aid to help fight back against the Russians. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Biden would give a speech at the White House on Thursday detailing his plans to build on the military assistance the administration has already approved. The new package is expected to be the same size as the one Biden announced last week.

  • As Russian troops encircled the battered Ukrainian coastal port of Mariupol, Cesar Quintana was worried that his 2-year-old son wouldn't make it out. Since his estranged wife took the child to Ukraine without his permission in 2020, Quintana has been trying to bring his son back to the U.S. He learned last month that the family and others from Mariupol escaped across the closest international border to Russia.

  • A city official in Mariupol says Russian forces are bombing a steel mill where Ukrainian fighters are holed up. The adviser to the Mariupol's mayor told The Associated Press on Friday that they dropped bombs on Azovstal despite promises not to.

  • You can battle your way through a visually-stunning mythicalRPG realm with hundreds ofchampions from 14factions.

  • 50 people will return to Ukraine to train the rest of the force.

  • The Kremlin questioned why Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was unaware of the document when he was still waiting for the response from his country. The Kremlin said it had sent a text, but Zelenskiy didn't hear about it.

  • Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel

    Voicing emotional requests for money is a red flag.

  • There are 30 unusual cars in automobile history. You can check out the doors on #3.

  • The package includes heavy weaponry, dozens of howitzers and a hundred and forty thousand rounds of ammunition. The Pentagon said that the U.S. Air Force for Kyiv developed the — so-called —Ghost— drones. Further ramping up pressure on Moscow.

  • Russia is still feeling its losses from earlier in the war, while Western countries are giving heavier weaponry to the Ukrainians.

  • Good morning. The city of Mariupol continues to resist despite Russian claims to have captured it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday as he welcomed fresh US aid to help confront Moscow's eastern offensive.

  • AdAmazon.com
    • Why this Ad?
    • Go ad-free*
  • The Pentagon said on Thursday that the drones that are part of America's latest arms package for Ukraine were developed by the U.S. Air Force. The United States and its allies have stepped up arms shipments to the city of Kyiv, as Moscow tries to save its campaign in eastern Ukraine. The Ukrainian forces have used Western weapons and drones to target Russian positions.

  • The general staff of the Ukrainian army said that Russian forces had increased attacks.

  • The leaders of Germany, Spain and Portugal have asked French voters not to support Marine Le Pen in the presidential election. Le Pen supports those who attack freedom and democracy, according to the leaders. Francine Lacqua reports on "Bloomberg Daybreak: Middle East".

  • AdThedelite
    • Why this Ad?
    • Go ad-free*

    You can't unsee photos that are raw, unedited and chilling.

  • The government said that deliveries would take place between 2023 and 2024.

  • California-based Aevex Aerospace developed the Phoenix Ghost drones.

  • Satellite photos of rows of freshly dug mass graves on the outskirts of Mariupol brought the horrors of the war to the forefront. The cities of the Donbas came under Russian fire overnight, and the attacks interfered with attempts to evacuate civilians.

  • AdNew Arena
    • Why this Ad?
    • Go ad-free*

    The greatest sporting event there is just a few months away.

  • The video of Putin sparks concerns about his health.

  • The Pentagon's electronic warfare director said that Starlink fixed a line of code the next day.

  • Russian officials are learning from their mistakes as they launch a new offensive in eastern Ukraine. Military analysts were surprised by the failures. Russian forces fail.