The U.S. will provide Ukraine with medium- to long-range surface-to-air missile defense systems

The U.S. plans to announce as early as this week that it will provide Ukraine with a medium to long range surface-to-air missile defense system, according to sources.

U.S. President Joe Biden, who is attending the G7 summit in Germany, said the U.S. would provide Ukraine with “more advanced rocket systems and munitions” as Ukraine’s war with Russia continues.

Arms manufacturer Raytheon Company said the missile defense system is called the NASAMS system. It provides air defense forces with a customizable, state-of-the-art defense system that maximizes their ability to identify, strike, and destroy enemy warplanes, drones, and cruise missiles.

The U.S. could also announce other military aids this week, including increased artillery ammunition and anti-battery radar equipment, at the request of the Ukrainian military, according to reports.

With the increasing attrition of both Russia and Ukraine on the battlefield, the U.S. is increasingly inclined to believe that the fighting in eastern Ukraine may last longer. U.S. officials believe that the Russian military’s continued heavy attack in eastern Ukraine is a sign of its determination to weaken Ukrainian forces and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Biden wrote in The New York Times in May that the U.S. will continue to lead the world in providing aid to Ukraine in support of Ukraine’s war for freedom.