US to send $1bln in security aid to help Ukraine in Donbas, Biden says

Ukrainian servicemen ride BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine June 14, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich

(Reuters) - The United States will provide an additional $1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine for its efforts in the eastern Donbas, the recent focus of Russia's invasion, President Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart during a call on Wednesday.

The supports includes "additional artillery and coastal defense weapons, as well as ammunition for the artillery and advanced rocket systems," Biden said in a statement from the White House after the call with Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

(Reporting by Chris Gallagher in Washington; writing by Costas Pitas; editing by Susan Heavey)