The US has delivered hundreds of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine for the first time over the last few days, including over 200 on Monday, a US official and a congressional source briefed on the matter told CNN on Wednesday.
The US earlier this year gave the green light to Baltic countries including Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to send American-made weaponry that they have to Ukraine, including Stingers. Until now, however, the Biden administration had held off on the US providing the Stingers directly to Ukraine, while they have provided other lethal weaponry.
Some members of Congress have been pushing for additional Stinger missiles to be sent to Ukraine for months. The Ukrainians have repeatedly made pleas more weaponry from the US, including anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons, according to CNN.
There are different generations of Stingers that the US produces and US officials have been cognizant of not providing the newest model to the Ukrainians in case they fall into the hands of the Russians who could steal the US technology, the report noted.
Last week it was reported that Germany has dropped its ban on the delivery of German-made lethal weapons to Ukraine via third parties, thus allowing the Netherlands to send some 400 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, manufactured in Germany, to Ukraine.