The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced a new aid package for Ukraine worth more than $1 billion, including military, humanitarian and budgetary assistance, during his visit to Kyiv on Wednesday. The announcement came as Ukraine faced a deadly rocket attack by Russian forces in the eastern city of Kostiantynivka, which killed at least 17 people and wounded dozens more.
Blinken said the new US aid would help sustain and build further momentum for the ongoing counteroffensive by the Ukrainian army, which has made significant gains against the Russian-backed separatists in the Donbas region since July. The counteroffensive has been supported by the US and its NATO allies, who have condemned Russia’s aggression and violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.