In a significant financial boost for Ukraine, the country received a $1.15 billion tranche of direct budgetary assistance from the United States on Wednesday.
The funds, channeled through the World Bank, reportedly aim to buttress various economic sectors in the nation.
Ukraine’s financial infrastructure has greatly benefited from U.S. assistance this year.
The country’s Finance Ministry confirmed, “Today, 11 October, the State Budget of Ukraine received a $1.15 billion grant from the USA through the World Bank’s Multi-Donor Trust Fund.”
The financial aid goes toward Ukraine’s government services, including payment of salaries, backing small businesses, supporting farmers, and offering other forms of economic sustenance.
The U.S. has been a robust supporter of Ukraine, especially following the Russian incursion in February 2022.
To date, Ukraine has garnered an impressive $10.9 billion in direct budgetary assistance from the U.S. just in 2023, the total aid since the invasion reaching into the hundreds of billions of dollars.
This recent tranche is part of the fifth installment from the World Bank’s initiative named the Public Expenditures for Administrative Capacity Endurance (PEACE) Project, aimed specifically at bolstering Ukraine’s financial resilience.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are engaged in a fierce defense of Avdiivka, a city of great strategic importance, as Russia intensifies its offensive.
The assault, which began four days ago, has witnessed a major influx of Russian military hardware and personnel.
Reports suggest that Russia has mobilized dozens of tanks, armored vehicles, and thousands of soldiers for the operation.
Vitaliy Barabash, the head of Avdiivka’s military administration, described the intensity of the Russian assault during an appearance on Ukrainian television.
He stated, “They are hitting with everything they have. Yesterday a lot of armor was used, they came in columns. The assault isn’t stopping neither day or night.”
Simultaneously, there are indications that Russia is amplifying its operations elsewhere along the frontline.
Notably, there’s a surge in activity near Kupiansk, a city Ukraine reclaimed from Russian control last year.
Ukrainian troops have reported smaller-scale offensives being launched by Russia at various points along the battlefront.
Of all the focal points of conflict, Avdiivka remains central, largely because of its proximity to Donetsk, the main city in the Russian-controlled Donetsk region.
