US considers sending more military advisers to Ukraine

The Pentagon says it is considering sending more personnel to Ukraine to advise and assist the country's military in the face of Russia's advances.

Ukrainian soldiers fire 12.7mm guns at a Russian drone in Chernihiv province. Photo: Reuters

Major General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, said on April 22: "We are considering sending additional advisors to strengthen the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the US embassy in Ukraine." The ODC includes advisors sent by the US military to Ukraine to carry out non-combat support missions, under the direction of the head of the US diplomatic mission.

According to General P. Ryder, ODC staff must comply with the same travel restrictions as all personnel at the US Embassy in Ukraine. He declined to disclose the specific number of ODC personnel "for security reasons and to protect the force."

It is unclear how many additional troops the US will send to Ukraine, with some officials saying it could be as many as 60. In addition, the advisory team will help Ukraine plan for the maintenance of complex US-funded military equipment, as fighting is expected to escalate in the summer.

The decision will expand the US military presence in Ukraine, although these troops will not participate in combat missions. President Joe Biden announced that the US military will not directly participate in combat to avoid the risk of increasing direct confrontation between the country and Russia.

LAM DIEN

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