СМИ сообщают, что администрация Байдена дала разрешение на отправку военных подрядчиков в Украину.

This was reported by Reuters and CNN citing sources.

For the first time since the onset of the full-scale invasion, the Biden administration has lifted the ban on deploying American military contractors in Ukraine to assist Ukrainian forces. This decision was made by the White House in early November, just ahead of the U.S. presidential elections.

Now, the Pentagon will be able to award contracts to American companies for operations in Ukraine.

U.S. officials are hopeful that this will expedite the maintenance and repair of weapons, including F-16 fighter jets and Patriot air defense systems.

“To assist Ukraine in repairing and maintaining the military equipment provided by the U.S. and its allies, the Department of Defense is inviting a limited number of contractors to participate in a bid to help Ukraine sustain the aid already provided,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

Sources emphasized that this policy change will not lead to a significant presence of American contractors akin to that which existed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The number of American contractors in Ukraine will range from “several dozen to several hundred.” For safety reasons, they will be positioned as far away from the front lines as possible and “will not engage in combat with Russian forces.”

Previously, U.S. military equipment that sustained damage during combat had to be transported out of Ukraine to Poland, Romania, or other NATO countries for repairs, which required additional time.

It remains unclear whether Donald Trump will maintain this policy when he takes office in January.

Notably, as early as June, media reported that the Joe Biden administration was seeking to lift the ban on the deployment of American military contractors in Ukraine to assist Kyiv in maintaining and repairing the weapon systems provided by the U.S.