The US will send medium-range rocket systems to Ukraine in a new security assistance package, senior administration officials have said. A $700-million weapon package to be formally unveiled on Wednesday, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), which are to enable Ukraine to fire more precisely at targets in its eastern part, the officials were quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Ukrainian officials had offered assurances that the HIMARS would not be used to strike targets inside the Russian territory. The announcement came amid reports that the US was preparing to aid Ukraine with advanced long-range rocket systems, something Kiev is craving in its fights against Russia in the eastern Donbass region.