US to Allow Military Contractors Into Ukraine for First Time Since 2022

The contractors will not engage in combat but provide maintenance on U.S. weapons systems, including the F-16 fighter jet and Patriot air defense system.

Ukrainian soldiers install anti-tank landmines and non-explosive obstacles along the front line near Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Oct. 30, 2024. Oleg Petrasiuk/Ukrainian 24th Mechanised Brigade via AP

President Joe Biden will allow some American military contractors to operate in Ukraine for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022.

The contractors will not engage in combat. Instead, the new policy will see the Department of Defense solicit bids from contractors to provide repairs and maintenance on systems already delivered to Ukraine.