US F-35s, Attack Helicopters And Troops Heading To Eastern Europe As Russia Further Invades Ukraine
More US troops have been sent to Eastern Europe in support of Russia invading Ukraine. Defense Department announced that another set of combat aircraft and infantry troops were sent to Baltics and Poland to join the 600 troops already activated in Germany, Poland, and Hungary.
The new troops and aircraft includes,
- Up to 8 more Air Force’s F-35 Strike Fighters from Germany to the Baltics and to an unspecified location on NATO’s southeastern flank
- An attack aviation battalion consisted of 20 AH-64 Apache helicopters from Germany to Baltics
- Another 12 Apache helicopters from Greece to Poland
- 800 soldiers from Italy to the Baltic states
This announcement came after US president Joe Biden imposed new sanctions on Russia in reaction to the Russian president’s decision of moving forces to further invade Ukraine.
A senior defense official said,
“These additional personnel are being repositioned to reassure our NATO allies, deter any potential aggression against NATO member states, and train with host-nation forces”
Biden said in a statement that the United States will “Continue to provide defensive assistance to Ukraine” as Russian forces advance but also highlighted that “we have no intention of fighting Russia.”
