Biden lets contractors repair US-supplied weapons in Ukraine

Key policy shift comes as a lot of equipment in the country is not in use owing to damage

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In its final months, President Joe Biden's administration has decided to allow US defense contractors to work in Ukraine to maintain and repair Pentagon-provided weaponry, US officials told Reuters on Nov. 8, in a significant policy shift that aims to aid Kyiv's fight against Russia.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the contractors would be small in number and located far from the front line. They will not be engaged in combat.

They will help ensure US-provided equipment "can be rapidly repaired when damaged and be provided maintenance as needed," the official said.

Since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the US has given Kyiv tens of billions of dollars in weaponry. But Kyiv either had to move US-provided weaponry out of the country for heavy repair or rely on video conferencing and other creative solutions to fix those systems inside the country.