100 U.S. Humvees arrive in Odesa - ambassador

A batch of 100 HMMWV military vehicles have arrived on Saturday morning from the United States to Odesa, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt has reported.

"Another 100 humvees for #Ukraine delivered to #Odesa this morning – making good on @VP's commitment in March," the diplomat wrote on his Twitter account posting also the photos of these vehicles.

As reported, in late June, the defense ministers of Ukraine and the U.S., Stepan Poltorak and Ashton Carter, discussed the upcoming shipments of additional 100 HMMWV military vehicles, also known as Humvees, scheduled for mid-July.

In early March, the U.S. announced it would provide Ukraine with additional non-lethal equipment in 2015. The American aid is to include drones, communications systems, radars for mortar and artillery detection, night vision equipment and other items with a total value of $75 million, and 230 military vehicles as well.

The first batch of 30 Humvees was delivered to Ukraine in March 2015.

In April, Ukroboronprom State Concern's press service announced the British made Saxon armored personnel carries (APCs), and the U.S.-made Humvee armored vehicles, which will be used to strengthen the combat readiness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, will be retrofitted with tank weapons

Supplementary arms developed by Kyiv-based Mayak plant, part of Ukroboronprom, for imported special-purpose vehicles, will be used to equip the Saxon APCs with three tank machine guns: two turret mounted KT-7.62mm-caliber guns and a versatile air-defense 12.7mm-caliber DShKM machine gun, according to the press service. In addition, a 12.7mm-caliber DShKM machine gun will be installed on the Humvees.

In late 2014 Ukroboronprom, under the Defense Ministry state procurement order, purchased 75 Saxon APCs. The total purchase price, according to Ukroboronprom, was $3.8 million. The first 20 vehicles arrived in Ukraine in early February 2015.

HMMWV, or Humvee, is a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle. A civilian adaptation of this vehicle is called the Hummer.