(NewsNation Now) — One of the main defense systems Ukraine is using against the onslaught from the Russian military are Stinger missiles.
The missile systems are made by Raytheon Technologies in the U.S. and are described as lightweight and portable.
They are considered anti-aircraft, surface-to-air missiles shot right off the shoulder and they’re heat-seeking.
So a combatant just aims, fires and forgets it while the missile seeks out its target.
The high-speed Stingers are very accurate and are used to shoot down helicopters and other aircraft.
The U.S. has given permission for other countries to send Ukraine American-made Stingers as Ukrainian officials have been asking for more of the powerful weapons.
But just in the last few days, for the first time, the U.S. authorized direct shipments.
The exact timing of delivery is not known, but officials say the U.S. is currently working on the logistics of the shipment. The officials agreed to discuss the development only if not quoted by name.
The decision comes on the heels of Germany’s announcement that it will send 500 Stinger missiles and other weapons and supplies to Ukraine.
The Baltic states have also been providing Ukraine with Stingers since January, and in order to do that had to get U.S. permission.
Russia has had these stingers used against it before when the U.S. secretly supplied them to Afghan rebels in the 1980s.
Nearly 40 years later, Russia is again facing the lethal weapons.
In addition to the Stingers, the U.S says it’s given more than a billion dollars in security assistance over the last year.
Watch the video at the top of the page for an up-close look at one of these Stingers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.