WASHINGTON

The US will send four more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to Ukraine to further strengthen the country's long-range fire capability, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday.

In opening remarks at the fourth meeting of the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group, including nearly 50 countries, Austin said Washington will announce a new package of weapons, ammunition and equipment for Ukraine.

"It will be our 16th drawdown of equipment from (Department of Defense) DOD inventory since August 2021," said Austin, adding that the package will include more rounds of HIMARS, artillery and ammunition

He said Ukrainians have been using the rocket systems "so effectively" which have made "such a difference on the battlefield" against Russia.

With Wednesday's announcement, the number of HIMARS that have been provided to Ukraine reached 16.

The defense chief said Russia deployed a massive invasion force to conquer all of Ukraine, topple the elected government and crush the spirit of Ukraine's people, adding: "And they failed."

"And as we have seen time and again over these past months of war, Ukrainian forces are frustrating Moscow's combat objectives," he added.