The United States has revealed that it is preparing long-term assistance to Ukraine that is expected to amount to an additional $3 billion.

US government officials told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity that the package is expected to be announced on Wednesday, the day the war reaches the six-month mark and Ukraine celebrates its Independence Day.

According to the news published by Lusa, the long-term assistance should include the stay of US troops in Europe and financial aid for training and equipment for Ukrainian forces to fight in the coming years, including drones, weapons and other equipment that could be at the front within a year or two.

To date, the US has provided some $10.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration, including 19 arms packages taken directly from Defense Department stocks since August 2021.

The total amount of the aid package to be announced on Wednesday - which is being provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative - may still be adjusted.

Unlike most previous packages, the new funding is largely aimed at helping Ukraine secure its medium to long-term defense posture, according to Washington.

Previous shipments, most of them made under presidential authority, have focused on Ukraine's most immediate needs for weapons and ammunition and have involved material that the Pentagon already has in stock and can be shipped in a short time.

In addition to providing long-term assistance that Ukraine can use for potential future defense needs, the new package is intended to reassure Kiev that the United States intends to maintain its support regardless of the daily advances and setbacks in the current conflict, the same sources advanced.

The military offensive launched on February 24 by Russia in Ukraine has already caused the flight of almost 13 million people - more than six million internally displaced and almost seven million to neighboring countries - according to the latest data from the UN, which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).

The Russian invasion - justified by Russian President Vladimir Putin with the need to "denazify" and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia's security - has been condemned by the international community in general, which has responded by sending arms to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia in all sectors, from banking to energy and sports.

In the war, which entered its 182nd day today, the UN presented as confirmed 5,587 civilians killed and 7,890 wounded, stressing that the real numbers are much higher and will only be known at the end of the conflict.