Pentagon allows US defense contractors to operate in Ukraine - Reuters
Photo: Lloyd Austin, Pentagon chief (Getty Images)
American defense contractors will be able to service and repair Ukrainian military equipment directly in Ukraine. This authorization was granted by the Pentagon, according to Reuters.
An unnamed US official stated that the number of contractors will be small, and they will operate far from the front lines. The contractors will not participate in combat.
The small number of contractors in Ukraine who perform maintenance away from the front lines will help ensure that US-supplied equipment "can be rapidly repaired when damaged and be provided maintenance as needed," he added.
US ban
Previously, the US government banned its contractors from working in Ukraine to conduct repairs and maintenance on equipment provided to the Ukrainian military.
In particular, at the end of August, The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington had refused to send specialists to Ukraine for servicing Western equipment, including F-16 fighter jets.
According to the publication, US intelligence deemed such a move too dangerous.
The American authorities were concerned that Russian forces might target US contractors deployed to Ukraine.
