On Tuesday, the United States announced a new military aid package to Ukraine worth $2.6 billion, which includes ammunition for HIMARS rocket launchers, artillery shells and small arms.

"The United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities to meet its immediate operational needs and its long-term security assistance requirements," the Pentagon said in a statement.

The aid package also includes ammunition for the "Patriot" and "NASAMS" air defense systems, in addition to anti-tank missiles used by Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, which Washington previously promised Kiev to supply.

The package also includes 120mm rounds, which a senior US official in the Pentagon told reporters, "will support the newly formed armored battalions in Ukraine, as well as the Abrams tanks, which the United States has committed to provide."

The Abrams tanks are expected to be delivered to Ukraine by this fall, while Kiev has taken delivery of other heavy Western tanks such as the British Challenger and German Leopard.

Most of the military aid, about $2.1 billion, is funded by the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and is used to purchase equipment from the Defense Ministry.

As for the remaining $500 million, it will be drawn from US stockpiles, which means it will reach the battlefield as soon as possible.

"The war is at an important stage. Fighting continues in the east, but there have been no significant shifts in territorial control recently. The front lines are relatively stable," the senior US official added.

"Our focus is on supporting the Ukrainians to change their dynamic on the ground. We want to help Ukraine advance and keep its positions, and we expect a Ukrainian counterattack," he said, referring to a possible attack by Ukrainian forces next spring.

The United States led the pressure to secure international support for Ukraine, and quickly formed an international coalition to support Kiev after the invasion of Russia in February 2022 and coordinated aid from dozens of countries.

Kiev is pressing for some of the equipment its backers have been reluctant to provide, including Patriot air defense systems, eventually pledged heavy tanks and modern warplanes.

According to the US State Department, the latest package brings total aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion to more than $35.1 billion.

The massive influx of military aid into Ukraine has raised concerns that the equipment is being misused.

But the Pentagon has repeatedly stressed that the oversight efforts have not uncovered widespread breaches, with a senior official saying the main concern comes from equipment captured by Russian forces.

In addition to providing military equipment, international backers also train Ukrainian forces.

The Pentagon said last week that Washington has trained more than 7,000 Ukrainian military personnel since February 2022, including 65 who completed their training in the United States on the Patriot system.

The Pentagon official revealed that training of Ukrainian forces to use Abrams tanks has not started yet, but added, "I expect that to happen relatively soon."