US announces $457.5M in new civilian security assistance for Ukraine

WASHINGTON

The US announced on Monday a new $457.5 million civilian security assistance package for Ukraine to bolster the besieged country's law enforcement capabilities.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the new package would be used to improve the "operational capacity" of Ukrainian law enforcement and would help to "save lives" amid Russia's ongoing war.

"Our provision of personal protective equipment, medical supplies, and armored vehicles has significantly reduced casualties for Ukrainian civilians and their defenders," the top diplomat said in a statement.

"Ukrainian law enforcement officers remain resilient, motivated, and determined to carry out their wide-ranging law enforcement missions and support for innocent civilians in towns and cities facing continuous Russian shelling," he added.

In addition to directly bolstering local law enforcement, some of the new funds will be used to help Ukraine document, investigate, and prosecute potential war crimes committed by Russian forces.

The US has now provided Ukraine with $645 million in civilian security assistance since December 2021, according to the State Department.

The funding announcement comes as Russia continues to hold polls in occupied parts of Ukraine that the West has denounced as a "sham" that is all but certain to be used by the Kremlin to annex further Ukrainian territory.