More than 70 M777 howitzers have arrived in Ukraine, a high-ranking Pentagon official stated, according to CNN.
"More than 70 M777 howitzers have arrived in Ukraine that constitutes around 80% of the total 90 that the United States has pledged to provide to the country," – reporters cite the official saying.
As of now, more than 200 Ukrainian artillerymen are trained to work on M777 howitzers, including a group of 50 Ukrainians that are scheduled to graduate from training today [on 2 May – tr.].
"More than 50 more" Ukrainians will arrive in one of the training grounds outside Ukraine "later this week" to start training on M777 howitzers. Also, a group of 20 Ukrainian soldiers started "a week-long training course" on the Phoenix Ghost UAV systems on 1 May, the official added.
According to CNN, over the last 24 hours, 13 flights of US security assistance for Ukraine have arrived in the European region. 11 more flights will arrive in the region from the U.S. over the next 24 hours, the official said.
There have also been "23 deliveries via airlift” from five other countries that received “again, in the regions outside Ukraine" some security assistance for the country, the official added.
The Pentagon spokesperson has stated previously that "more than half" of 90 howitzers that the U.S. was sending to Ukraine had already arrived in the country. 50 Ukrainians graduated from training on howitzers they are planning to go back to Ukraine and "train their comrades".
According to the head of the Office of the president adviser Oleksiy Arestovych, the Ukrainian army will go on the counterattack as soon as it receives the heavy weapons the West has pledged to provide. By his calculations, the counteroffensive is to be expected closer to July.
President Zelenskyy held a four-hour-long conversation with the U.S. Congress's House of Representative Speaker Nancy Pelosi yesterday about the land lease, macro-financial assistance, and sanctions.