October 27, 2023

US Reroutes Aid


US Reroutes Aid
American and Israeli flags adorn a street corner. Unsplash.

The English-language Moscow Times reported last Friday that “tens of thousands” of 155mm artillery shells earmarked for the Ukrainian military will be sent to Israel “in the coming weeks” to refill depleted US stocks in Israel, citing statements gathered by US-based news website Axios.

The shells were part of emergency stockpiles kept by the US in Israel long-term. Only US military personnel have access to these stockpiles, but “Israel can use the ammunition in a war scenario in short order” with US approval, according to Axios.

Axios reported in January that, since “sometime in late 2022,” shells from these stockpiles were being sent to Ukraine to help with the ongoing war with Russia. At the time, the Israeli military told the government that “there was no immediate scenario in which Israel would need an emergency supply of shells." This late 2022 / early 2023 transfer of shells was performed by the US. The Moscow Times noted, "Israel itself has refused to deliver weapons to Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion in order to avoid angering the Kremlin."

According to Axios, "US officials have suggested that diverting these shells from Ukraine to Israel would have no immediate impact on Ukraine's ability to fight against Russian troops." Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said, "We are confident we can support both Ukraine and Israel in terms of their defensive needs."

The diversion of shells from Ukraine to Israel followed a series of requests by the Israeli government for US aid following an IDF assessment after Hamas’s October 7 attack. The Moscow Times noted that Israel has been launching an increasing number of attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, and that over 5,000 Israelis and Palestinians, mostly civilians, have died in the conflict in the two weeks since. At the same time, Ukraine’s military activity is also heightened, with counteroffensives ongoing since June against Russian-occupied southern regions.

President Joe Biden recently delivered a request to Congress for a total of $105 billion of international aid funding, including large sums for military support of both Israel and Ukraine. Of the total sum, $61.4 billion would be destined to Ukraine "for military and economic assistance," $14.3 billion would go to Israel "to bolster its air and missile defenses," and over $9 billion is earmarked "for humanitarian assistance in Israel, Gaza, and Ukraine”, according to NYT.

You Might Also Like

Mosque Raid Leads to Star's Enlistment
  • October 24, 2023

Mosque Raid Leads to Star's Enlistment

The Russian National Guard raided a mosque, forcing worshipers to enlist in the army. A finalist in a musical reality show was among the draftees.
Escaping the Draft – in Israel
  • October 23, 2023

Escaping the Draft – in Israel

Russian-Israelis want to return to Russia to avoid being drafted into Israel's military. But Russia is also conscripting.
Russia Reacts to Gaza War
  • October 16, 2023

Russia Reacts to Gaza War

400 Russians asked to be evacuated from Gaza as Israel ordered the evacuation of 1.1 million people.
600 Days of War
  • October 16, 2023

600 Days of War

Russia's War on Ukraine has been going on for 600 days. Some Facts & Figures.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Jews in Service to the Tsar

Benjamin Disraeli advised, “Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory.” With Jews in Service to the Tsar, Lev Berdnikov offers us 28 biographies spanning five centuries of Russian Jewish history, and each portrait opens a new window onto the history of Eastern Europe’s Jews, illuminating dark corners and challenging widely-held conceptions about the role of Jews in Russian history.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
The Little Golden Calf

The Little Golden Calf

Our edition of The Little Golden Calf, one of the greatest Russian satires ever, is the first new translation of this classic novel in nearly fifty years. It is also the first unabridged, uncensored English translation ever, and is 100% true to the original 1931 serial publication in the Russian journal 30 Dnei. Anne O. Fisher’s translation is copiously annotated, and includes an introduction by Alexandra Ilf, the daughter of one of the book’s two co-authors.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.
A Taste of Russia

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
Murder at the Dacha

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.
Survival Russian

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955