According to POLITICO’s report on Saturday, the United States is considering bolstering its modest military presence in Ukraine by dispatching up to 60 additional military advisers. This news came as the House approved $61 billion in spending for the proxy war on the same day.
Four unnamed US officials told POLITICO that the additional troops would “support logistics and oversight efforts for the weapons the US is sending Ukraine.”
Brig. General Pat Ryder, a spokesman for the Pentagon, stated that the possible deployment would strengthen the existing US personnel stationed at the US Embassy in Kyiv.
“Throughout this conflict, the DOD has reviewed and adjusted our presence in-country as security conditions have evolved. Currently, we are considering sending several additional advisers to augment the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the Embassy,” Ryder said.
In October 2022, the Pentagon revealed that ODC and defense attaché personnel had returned to Ukraine after being absent during the initial months of Russia’s invasion.
The Pentagon said at the time that the personnel were conducting “onsite” inspections of US-provided weapons.
Ryder revealed the ODC “performs a variety of advisory and support missions (non-combat), and while it is staffed exclusively by DOD personnel, it is embedded within the US Embassy, under Chief of Mission authority like the rest of the Embassy.”
Ryder stated that the advisers would assume non-combat roles, yet their deployment would signify an increase in US engagement in the conflict and reflect the US’s long-term plans for the conflict.
The US has sought to emphasize that they will not participate in battles.
Besides the ODC and defense attaché, the US also has a small number of special operations forces in Ukraine. The Discord leaks revealed last year that as of March 2023, 14 US special operations troops were in Ukraine.
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