New US aid package for Ukraine, MoD tests fighter jets over Baltic Sea, Blinken’s reaction to Prigozhin’s rebellion

The Ukraine war has been on for 489 days. Media report the US has decided to provide Ukraine with a new aid package worth $500 million, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken banned US diplomats around the world from commenting on Prigozhin’s rebellion. Russia’s MoDhas announced tactical flight training of fighter jets over the Baltic Sea.

Read the biggest news that occurred overnight in Novaya-Europe’s 27 June round-up

AP: Washington to provide Kyiv with new aid package worth $500 million

The Pentagon will soon announce it is sending up to $500 million in military aid to Ukraine, the Associated Press cites its sources. 

The package is going to include more than 50 heavily armoured vehicles and an infusion of missiles for air defence systems. The aid is aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s counteroffensive, which has been moving slowly in its early stages.

According to the sources among US officials, the country will send 30 Bradley Fighting Vehicles and 25 armoured Stryker vehicles to Ukraine, along with missiles for (HIMARS) and the Patriot air defence system. The package will include Javelin and high-speed anti-radiation (HARM) missiles, demolition munitions, obstacle-clearing equipment, and a wide range of artillery rounds and other ammunition.

AP believes the officials will soon announce the new aid measures formally.

Russia’s MoD announces fighters exercise over Baltic Sea

The Russian Defence Ministry has announced tactical flight training of fighter jets over the Baltic Sea, as per the agency’s Telegram channel.

The purpose of the drills is to test the readiness of the flight crew to perform combat and special tasks as intended, to work out new tactics and methods of action with the full use of the combat capabilities of aviation equipment, says the Russian MoD.

In addition to the exercises, Su-27 crews are on round-the-clock combat duty, guarding the air borders of the Kaliningrad region, the Russian Defence Ministry says.

Blinken bans US diplomats from commenting on Prigozhin’s rebellion

After PMC Wagner’s Yevgeny Prigozhin had announced the mercenary group’s “march of justice” in the late hours of 23 June, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed all State Department staff to not talk about the uprising, Axios reports, citing its sources.

The cable Blinken sent added that the situation was being dealt with directly by the secretary and his closest staff, the officials said. One US official told Axios the impression among some who received the cable was it was sent in order to make sure no US diplomat said anything that could have made it seem the US was involved in the crisis in any way. Blinken’s cable said diplomats should only say the US is monitoring the situation.

US President Joe Biden commented on Prigozhin’s rebellion in the late hours of 26 June, making it clear the United States had nothing to do with it. Biden referred to what was happening as “part of a struggle within the Russian system”.