US conducting training for Ukrainians on M113 armored personnel carrier: Official

The United States is conducting training of Ukrainian personnel on M113 armored personnel carrier outside the war-ravaged country amid Russia's special military operation, a senior US defence official said on Thursday.

"There is some training that started yesterday as well, a five-day training for more than 50 Ukrainian soldiers on the M113, the armored personnel carrier just to make sure they are familiar with how to use that system," the official said during a press briefing.

The United States is not the only country that offers training sessions for Ukrainians but the official refused to disclose those.

The Pentagon has repeatedly stated its readiness to conduct training for the Ukrainian military as needed and depending on the supplied military equipment.

M113 are arriving in Ukraine as part of the $800 million aid package announced by President Joe Biden last week. The package includes 18 155mm Howitzers, 40,00 shells, 300 Switchblade drones, 500 Javelin anti-armour missiles, 200 M113 armoured personnel carriers and 16 Mi-17 helicopters, among other equipment.

On February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk requested help in defending themselves from intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. Russia has said that the aim of the special operation is to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine and that it is targeting the country's military infrastructure only. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )

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