US to send Humvees, drones to Ukraine

• The US stepped up pressure on Ukraine separatists today, announcing economic sanctions on rebel leaders and their alleged Russian supporters, and on the largest bank in Crimea
• The US Treasury listed eight separatist officials and the Eurasian Youth Union, a nationalist Russian group said to recruit fighters to join the rebels, under the sanctions
• The separatists include Aleksandr Karaman, Oleksandr Khodakovsky, and Ekaterina Gubareva, top officials with the self-proclaimed rebel Donetsk People’s Republic

The US will provide drones, armoured Humvees and $75 million worth of other non-lethal defensive equipment to Ukraine to enhance the mobility of its armed forces, as the White House accused Russia of sending troops and weapons in support of pro-Russian rebels.

President Barack Obama has approved to provide 30 armoured Humvees, 200 unarmored Humvees as well as radios, counter-mortar radars and other equipment to Ukrainian armed forces, media from US reported.

US Vice-President Joe Biden during a telephonic conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko informed the latter that Obama has approved the allocation of $75 million in Department of Defence European Reassurance Initiative funds to provide additional non-lethal equipment to Ukraine, and the transfer of 30 armoured and up to 200 unarmored Humvees to Ukraine.