On Friday, the Pentagon announced a new $775 million military aid package for Ukraine, which includes additional missiles for the HIMARS systems, surveillance drones and, for the first time, mine countermeasures vehicles, Reuters and AFP reported.

Since Russian troops crossed the border into Ukraine in February in what Russian President Vladimir Putin called a “special military operation,” the conflict has turned into a war of attrition, fought mostly in eastern and southern Ukraine.

This new tranche of aid also includes 16 howitzers, a senior official of the US Department of Defense told the press.

The package will include 15 Scan Eagle surveillance drones, 40 MaxxPro MRAPs (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles) and about 1,000 Javelin anti-tank missiles.

That would bring total U.S. military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s February 24 invasion to $10.6 billion.

Earlier, the USA sent equipment and weapons worth more than 9 billion dollars to Ukraine.

The positions of Russia are weakened by the Ukrainians

Russian forces are facing a “total lack of progress on the battlefield” in Ukraine, a senior Pentagon official said on Friday, citing in particular the use of US Himars missiles by Ukrainian forces.

“We did not see any recapture of territory” by Ukrainian forces, admitted the official, who wished to remain anonymous. “But we see a clear weakening of Russian positions in several places.”