Ukraine says received new $1.5bn financial aid from US

Ukraine says it has received a further $1.5 billion in international financial assistance from the United States.

In a post on his Twitter account on Saturday, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal thanked Washington for the “grant.”

"The state budget of Ukraine received a grant of $1.5 billion. This is the last tranche of $4.5 billion aid from the United States from @WorldBank Trust Fund," he said.

The Ukrainian official said the money would be used to reimburse budget expenditure for pension payments and social assistance programs.

The administration of President Joe Biden recently approved a new $600-million weapons package for Ukraine despite Russia’s warnings that its military support only fuels the flames of war.

US will cross ‘red line’ if it gives Ukraine longer-range missiles: Russia

“If Washington decides to supply longer-range missiles to Kiev, then it will be crossing a red line,” the foreign ministry spokeswoman said.

The package will include High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), night-vision goggles, claymore mines, mine clearing equipment, 105mm artillery rounds, and 155mm precision-guided artillery rounds.

The US administration’s military aid has already reached around $15.8 billion since Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a “special military operation” in Ukraine in late February.

Most of the funding for these weapons comes from money that US Congress has set aside to arm Ukraine.

In March, Congress approved a $13.6-billion military package. In May, lawmakers tripled that funding with another $40-billion package. The Biden administration had initially asked for a lower amount – $33 billion.

Moscow has been fiercely critical of weapons supplies to Kiev by Washington and its Western allies.

On Thursday, Russia warned if the United States and its allies supplied Ukraine with longer-range missiles, Washington would cross a “red line," and become “a party to the conflict."

Ukraine continues offensive in northeast: UK

Meanwhile, the British military intelligence said Ukraine continues offensives in the northeast of the country while Russian forces have established a defensive line between the key Oskil River in the Kharkiv region and the town of Svatove in Luhansk province.

"Russia likely sees maintaining control of this zone as important because it is transited by one of the few main resupply routes Russia still controls from the Belgorod region of Russia," the UK Defense Ministry said in a regular Twitter update.

Russia delivers 'massive strikes' on Ukraine as Kiev pushes to retake all occupied territories

Russia says its forces were carrying out "massive strikes" on Ukrainian armed forces from all operational directions across the Ukrainian front line, as Kiev said it was prepared to liberate all of its territory while calling on the West to speed up the deliveries of weapons systems to the county.

"Russia will likely attempt to conduct a stubborn defense of this area, but it is unclear whether Russia's front line forces have sufficient reserves or adequate morale to withstand another concerted Ukrainian assault," it added.

Ukrainian forces have over the past days managed to repel Russian attacks in multiple directions and liberated swathes of territory.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk