Secret Airfield Near Ukrainian Border Gets 17 Flights Of Weapons A Day From West

Amid Ukraine invasion, an undisclosed airfield near the Ukrainian border has reportedly been getting several flights carrying weapons supplied by the West.

A senior US Defense Department official said that Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley recently visited the secret airfield, according to 9News. The official said Friday that at the airfield, Milley met troops and personnel and examined the shipment activity, reported CNN.

In recent days, the site has become a beehive of activity, going from a handful of flights each day to as many as 17, which is the field's maximum capacity. To protect the shipments of weapons, including anti-armor missiles, into Ukraine, the airport's location has been kept a secret. The official said that the Russian military has not targeted these shipments once they enter Ukraine. But there is concern Russia could start targeting the deliveries as its assault advances.

A senior US official said that so far, the US and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members have sent Ukraine 17,000 anti-tank missiles and 2,000 stinger anti-aircraft missiles. Even before Russia's invasion started late February, the skies above Europe have been filled with military cargo aircraft of the US and others. Such flights have been repositioning soldiers along NATO's eastern flank. They are also moving weapons to the transfer points where they can be delivered to Ukraine, and the pace of the flights has only increased.

A second Defense official said that US European Command (EUCOM) is at the heart of the huge shipment operation. It is reportedly using its liaison network with allies and partners to coordinate "in real time" to send materials into Ukraine. The official added that EUCOM is also coordinating with other countries, including the UK, in terms of the delivery process "to ensure that we are using our resources to maximum efficiency to support the Ukrainians in an organized way."

The official said Friday that since Russia's invasion began, 14 nations have sent security assistance to Ukraine. According to the official, the "vast majority" of a $350 million US security assistance package has already been delivered to Ukraine. The official added that approximately $240 million of the package has reached Ukraine, and the rest should arrive within days and maybe weeks, "but not longer."

Meanwhile, a senior US defense official told Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent about 100% of his invasion forces into Ukraine, reported Daily Mail. According to Putin, western sanctions amount to a "declaration of war," and he said last week that the response risks "the future of Ukrainian statehood."