
The US military will begin training Ukrainian soldiers for the use of American heavy artillery weapons, "howitzer" in the following days, a senior U.S. defense official said Monday.
A "howitzer" is generally a long-range artillery gun, which has smaller shells, and can fire more rapidly.
Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden announced an additional $800 million in military aid to Ukraine, expanding aid with heavy artillery weapons, ahead of a broader Russian attack in eastern Ukraine.
So far, four aircraft loaded with weapons have been sent from the United States to Ukraine as part of the new aid package.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters, said training on the use of heavy artillery weapons would take place outside Ukraine.
The United States is planning to train Ukrainian soldiers on how to use some of the new armaments, such as heavy "howitzer" artillery and radars. They will use their knowledge of weapons to train their colleagues within Ukraine.
The United States has previously trained Ukrainian forces for the use of Switchblade drones.