The US plans to send additional military personnel to Kiev

The United States is considering sending more military personnel to Ukraine. Russia appears to be gaining strength on the front lines.

The US military announced on Saturday that dozens of military advisers could be deployed to Ukraine to provide logistical oversight and maintenance of the weapons and ammunition supplied to the forces fighting Russia. The additional advisers will be stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Kiev.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a much-delayed foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, freeing up $60.84 billion to help Ukraine alone.

Now the Senate will begin voting on the relief package on Tuesday.

According to two American officials interviewed by Politico, a limited number of soldiers had already been deployed to the embassy in Kiev on short rotations. The second official described the staff numbers as ‘onesies and twosies’.

The number of additional U.S. troops that will be deployed to Ukraine is unclear; However, the two US officials said the number could be as high as 60.

These advisers would not serve in combat capacities, but would instead provide guidance and assistance to the Ukrainian government and military, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said.

“Throughout this conflict, the DOD has assessed and adjusted our presence in country as security conditions have evolved. We are currently considering sending several additional advisors to strengthen the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the Embassy,” Ryder said in a speech. statement to Politico, adding that “staff are subject to the same travel restrictions as all embassy employees.”

Ryder refrained from releasing specific personnel numbers “for operational security and force protection reasons.”

According to four U.S. officials and a person familiar with the plans, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, the additional troops will primarily support logistical and oversight efforts for the weapons being sent to Ukraine.

In addition, they will help the Ukrainian military with weapons maintenance, as outlined by one of the U.S. officials and the person familiar with the plans.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed the idea of ​​possibly sending troops from other European countries to Ukraine.

At a pro-Kiev rally in Paris in late February, Macron said NATO members “cannot rule out anything,” including having boots on the ground in Ukraine.

Macron pointed out that more troops needed to be deployed in Ukraine to make efforts to prevent the impending Russian victory.

Meanwhile, Russian forces have been gaining momentum on the battlefields in eastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has already admitted that his country will lose the ongoing war against Russia without American support.

Zelensky warned last week that Russian forces were continuing to pressure Kiev’s armed forces. He also reiterated his continued request from his Western allies for additional weapons and ammunition, claiming that Kiev’s forces could overpower Russian forces if they had a larger number of soldiers armed with the latest weapons on their side.