"The Department of Defense announced today plans to provide $250 million to Ukraine in security cooperation funds for additional training, equipment and advisory efforts to build the capacity of Ukraine’s armed forces," the statement read.
The funds will help Ukraine obtain more armaments and boost its naval and land capabilities, according to the Department of Defence.
"The new funds will provide equipment to support ongoing training programs and operational needs, including capabilities to enhance: maritime situational awareness and operations as part of ongoing US efforts to increase support for Ukraine’s Navy and Naval Infantry," the statement said.
The funding will also be used for command and control, electronic warfare detection, secure communications, and military mobility, the release said.
The additional funds, the release added, will also provide equipment for training and operations to enhance the Ukraine navy’s maritime situational awareness to counter Russian "aggression" in the Black Sea.
The Pentagon also said the new funds would be used to enhance the defensive capacity and survivability of Ukraine’s Land and Special Operations Forces through the provision of sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, and counter-artillery radars; command and control; electronic warfare detection and secure communications; military mobility; night vision; and military medical treatment.
The new funding comes as part of a series of Pentagon payments that have been allocated since 2014, and which currently has reached $1.5 billion.
The enhanced support for Ukraine's naval forces comes after the United States pledged to work with its European allies to confront what it called "Russian aggression" in the Black Sea region.
In November 2018, three Ukrainian warships illegally crossed the Russian maritime border as they sailed toward the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov. Russia seized the Ukrainian vessels and detained crew members after they failed to respond to a demand to stop and opened a criminal case.
