In response to Russian aggression, Antony Blinken announces $457.5 million in civilian relief for Ukraine

According to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the United States would give Ukraine $457.5 million in additional civilian security funding, some of which will be used to bolster the government's inquiry into atrocities.

"A portion of this new assistance will also continue U.S. support for the Ukrainian government’s efforts to document, investigate, and prosecute atrocities perpetrated by Russia’s forces, drawing on our long-standing relationship with Ukrainian criminal justice agencies," the U.S. top diplomat said.

Blinken stated in a statement that the assistance is intended to benefit Ukrainian law enforcement and criminal justice organisations.

The help was revealed days after a panel appointed by the UN ruled that Russia had perpetrated war crimes, such as rape, torture, killings, and kidnapping children, in the Ukrainian regions it had occupied.

Since the invasion on February 24, Ukraine and its supporters in the West have accused Russian soldiers of a long list of violations, but Moscow has consistently dismissed the claims as a disinformation campaign.

Since mid-December, the United States has provided more than $645 million in aid to Ukrainian law enforcement and its allies, according to Blinken.

Personal protection equipment, medical supplies, and armoured vehicles provided by the US have decreased casualties among Ukrainian citizens and those defending them.