Ukraine conflict: US sending first Strykers, Bradleys for counteroffen…

The US plans to take 15 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles from its reserves and send them to Ukraine. (US Transportation Command)

The US wants to supply more Stryker armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) in the latest assistance package to Ukraine.

The package will provide Ukraine with USD325 million worth of equipment from US stocks, the Pentagon announced on 13 June. The 15 Bradleys and 10 Strykers will help support Ukrainian offensive operations as vehicles are damaged, said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh.

Singh told reporters the Pentagon has always anticipated systems would get damaged and had plans in place to replace some of these systems. The US has not included Bradleys and Strykers in assistance packages since early 2023, but some packages included mobility assistance equipment such as bridging tools.

“I don't know that it'd be a one-to-one ratio every time, but something that went into our calculations when we provide this equipment to the Ukrainians is that there could be battlefield losses and damages,” she said.

Singh noted the Pentagon was aware of the reports from Dutch open-source intelligence website Oryx that 16 US-made vehicles were damaged in the fighting. However, she said she could not “corroborate some of the video and imagery coming out of that”.

Another major component of the equipment assistance is resupplying Ukraine's air defence. Munitions for National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMSs) and for High-Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARSs) were included in the package as well as a number of Stinger anti-aircraft systems.