telling the post the training will take a few days at most. it all revealed information about ukrainian soldiers who were in the united states for training when the russian invasion began. they were taught how to use switchblade drones as well as new coastal defense drones included in this week s $800 million aid package. those soldiers returned to ukraine last weekend where they will train others on using the same weapons. meanwhile, a new air defense system, the largest item a nato country has sent so far, reportedly has arrived in ukraine. according to the new york times the soviet era equipment was donated by slovakia at the encouragement of the united states. it is made up of 48 surface-to-air mills ills, launchers and radars to guide the rockets to their targets. in response the u.s. has promised to back fill slovakia s aging missile system with an array of american-made patriot missiles. jonathan lemire, david ignatius with us at this hour.
defense systems and a senior defense official tells the post that the training will take a few days at most. that source also revealed new information about ukrainian soldiers who were in the united states for training when the russian invasion began. they were taught how to use switchblade drones, we ve seen how important they ve become, as well as new coastal defense drones that were included in this week s $800 million aid package. they returned to ukraine last week where they will train others on using the same weapons. a new air defense system, the largest item that the nato country has sent so far has reportedly arrived in ukraine. the soviet era equipment was donated by slovakia at encouragement of the united states. it is made up of 48 surface to air missiles, four launchers and radars to guide the rockets to their target. in response, the u.s. has reportedly promised to back slovakia s aging missile system with an array of american-made patriot missiles. meanwhile, the death t
quick reaction force that the ukrainians are going to have to basically generate in the east to try and stop any avenue of approach that russia uses. so it will be interesting to see them using these new pieces of equipment, the artillery, the counter fire radars, the fast moving vehicles. many more pieces of javelin and stinger missiles as well as some of the new switchblade drones that they ll be getting. all of these things will contribute. it s giving ukraine a capability that is reinforcing what they ve done in the past under a new type of operation. russia s going to attack on several fronts in the east. they re going to do some of the same things we saw them doing, trying to raise towns and conduct artillery strikes against civilian populations. they re also going to be coming on multiple smaller axis on a different kind of terrain. they re going to have to secure river crossings, they re going
so, if you match artillery with the counter-battery radar systems that we have, then when the russian army fires artillery, you are able to capture the location of the delivery system that they ve got, their artillery pieces. and you can do counter-battery, radar-developed fires. so, basically it s they fire, you find them, you kill them. and that is a critical component to dealing with the russian army systems that we have right now. so, u.s. officials say they re sending over the remainder of the last package and within 24 hours, the next 24 hours, ukraine should be receiving more javelin antitank missiles as well as a number of switchblade drones, also known as kamikaze drones because they can detonate on impact.
awaiting more military aid from western allies, as russians ramp up attacks in the east and the south of this country. just today president biden approved $800 million in new security aid, including new types of equipment, such as howitzer cannons, artillery rounds, and more. the package will provide additional equipment the u.s. has sent before, such as mi-17 helicopters, switchblade drones, and protective armor. so, just how much of an impact might this have? let s bring in retired army major general paul eaton. new satellite images show russian forces moving into eastern ukraine with these armored vehicles and support equipment and personnel carriers and artillery. how much of a difference do you think this additional aid makes to the ukrainians, will make to the fighting on the ground for this battle that s coming up? so, what we have to