US clears $2.7 billion Ukraine arms package to bolster air defences

The US State Department has approved a possible $2.68 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, equipment and related services, as Kyiv faces continued Russian attacks and seeks stronger security support from its allies.The department announced the determination late on Friday, describing the package as focused on upgrading Ukraine’s air-defence capabilities. The proposed sale comes as US-mediated efforts to end Russia’s more than four-year full-scale invasion have stalled, with territorial concessions in eastern Ukraine remaining a key sticking point in negotiations.Ukraine has also been seeking security guarantees from its partners as part of any potential settlement.The announcement came as Russian forces continued attacks across Ukraine. Two people were killed and two others injured in overnight strikes in the Zhytomyr region, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. The strikes triggered fires at warehouse and production buildings, while repeated air raid alerts disrupted rescue operations.In the Kharkiv region, one person was killed and six injured after a Russian drone struck an electric train at a railway station in the Novovodolazka community. The attack set two carriages on fire. Another Russian drone attack destroyed a shopping complex in Zaporizhzhia and injured one person.Russia’s Defence Ministry also said its forces struck Ukrainian ports, vessels and a military logistics centre. It said a bulk carrier was hit at the port of Chornomorsk and that a Nova Poshta logistics facility near Odesa, allegedly used to store and distribute military cargo from Europe, was targeted.The ministry separately said Russian air defences intercepted and destroyed 629 Ukrainian drones overnight across 14 Russian regions, Crimea and areas around the Azov and Black seas. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said more than 350 drones were headed towards the Russian capital, with 64 reportedly downed as they approached the city.The US arms approval also comes as Ukraine receives additional European financial support. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv had received a 3.3 billion-euro tranche, worth roughly $3.8 billion, from an EU support package intended to strengthen defence capabilities, including through the purchase of missiles and drones.Zelenskyy made the remarks as Ukraine hosted the inaugural “Carpathian Eight” summit in western Ukraine, bringing together regional leaders to discuss security, energy, logistics and economic cooperation.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.