The US military has begun delivering 155mm artillery shells and GMLRS missiles to Ukraine after briefly pausing the shipments, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
The report said that the Pentagon had halted a shipment of 8,500 artillery shells, 250 GMLRS rockets (which can be fired from the HIMARS rocket systems), 142 Hellfire air-to-surface missiles, and 30 Patriot air defense interceptors after reviewing US military stockpiles.
President Trump has claimed that he didn’t order a pause on aid to Ukraine and that he only wanted a review of US stockpiles. He reportedly told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week that at least 10 Patriot interceptors would be on the way, and he is also asking Germany to send a new Patriot battery.
It’s unclear at this point if the US plans to resume the Hellfire missile shipment or if it will deliver all 30 Patriot interceptors. The US used a significant number of Patriot missiles to repel Iran’s attack on the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which came in response to the US bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The US reportedly has only 25% of the Patriot missile stocks that it needs for its own purposes.
Reuters also reported that President Trump will soon approve his first military aid package to Ukraine, using the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows him to send weapons directly from Pentagon stockpiles. The package is expected to be worth approximately $300 million. The weapons the US has been shipping to Ukraine were previously approved by President Biden, who authorized billions of dollars in weapons shipments during his final months in office.
When the Trump administration first confirmed it was halting some arms shipments to Ukraine, it said the move was part of the president’s agenda to put “America’s interests first.” But Trump quickly walked back the move and claimed he didn’t know who ordered the pause.
