Ukraine hails U.S. military aid as cease-fire said to falter

In his nightly televised address on Friday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it “a very powerful package”

Ukraine's president is praising the United States for including tank-killing armoured vehicles in its latest multibillion-dollar package of military aid, saying they are “exactly what is needed” for Ukrainian troops locked in combat against Russian forces.

Officials, meanwhile, said it was unclear whether Moscow was abiding by a unilateral 36-hour cease-fire for Orthodox Christmas that Ukraine has denounced as a ploy.

The latest multi-billion dollar package of U.S. military assistance announced Friday by the White House was the biggest to date for Kyiv.

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For the first time, it included Bradley armoured vehicles — known as tank-killers because of the anti-tank missiles they fire.

In his nightly televised address on Friday, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it “a very powerful package”.

“For the first time, we will get Bradley armoured vehicles — this is exactly what is needed. New guns and rounds, including high-precision ones, new rockets, new drones. It is timely and strong,” he said.