Biden administration to allow American military contractors to deploy to Ukraine for first time since Russia’s invasion

By Natasha Bertrand, Haley Britzky and Oren Liebermann, CNN

(CNN) — The Biden administration has lifted a de facto ban on American military contractors deploying to Ukraine to help the country’s military maintain and repair US-provided weapons systems, particularly F16 fighter jets and Patriot air defense systems, an official with direct knowledge of the plan told CNN.

The new policy, approved earlier this month before the election, would allow the Pentagon to provide contracts to American companies for work inside Ukraine for the first time since Russia invaded in 2022. Officials said they hope it will speed up the maintenance and repairs of weapons systems being used by the Ukrainian military.

It is not clear whether Donald Trump will keep the policy in place when he takes office in January. Trump has said he hopes to end the war between Ukraine and Russia “within 24 hours” of returning to power.

“In order to help Ukraine repair and maintain military equipment provided by the US and its allies, DoD (Department of Defense) is soliciting bids for a small number of contractors who will help Ukraine maintain the assistance we’ve already provided,” a defense official said.

“These contractors will be located far from the front lines and they will not be fighting Russian forces. They will help Ukrainian Armed Forces rapidly repair and maintain US provided equipment as needed so it can be quickly returned to the front lines.”

The defense official confirmed that the US is moving forward with the plan because several of the systems the US has provided Ukraine, particularly F-16s and Patriots, “require specific technical expertise to maintain.”

The shift marks another significant change in the Biden administration’s Ukraine policy, as the US looks for ways to give Ukraine’s military an upper hand against Russia. The Pentagon is expected to start listing the contracts online soon, the official said.

Over the last two years, Biden has insisted that all Americans, and particularly US troops, stay far away from the Ukrainian frontlines. The White House has been determined to limit both the danger to Americans and the perception, particularly by Russia, that the US military is engaged in combat there. The State Department has explicitly warned Americans against traveling to Ukraine since 2022.

As a result, US-provided military equipment that has sustained significant damage in combat has had to be transported out of the country to Poland, Romania, or other NATO countries for repairs, a process which takes time. US troops have also been available to help the Ukrainians with more routine maintenance and logistics, but only from afar via video chat or secure phone—an arrangement that has come with inherent limitations, since US troops and contractors are not able to work directly on the systems.

Allowing experienced, US government-funded American contractors to maintain a presence in Ukraine means they will be able to help fix damaged, high-value equipment much faster, officials have told CNN. One advanced system that officials say will likely require regular maintenance is the F-16 fighter jet, which Ukraine received earlier this year.

Companies bidding for the contracts would be required to develop robust risk mitigation plans to reduce threats to their employees, officials told CNN.

“The Department made this decision after careful risk assessment and in coordination with interagency stakeholders,” the defense official said. “Each US contractor, organization or company will be responsible for the safety and security of their employees and will be required to include risk mitigation plans as part of their bids.”

Current and former officials familiar said the policy change will not result in the kind of major American contractor presence that existed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, it would likely result in anywhere from a few dozen to a couple hundred contractors working in Ukraine at a time.

“It is worth noting that there already are a wide array of American companies who have personnel in Ukraine fulfilling contracts for the Ukrainian government, so this will not lead to a substantial increase of employees of US companies working on the ground in Ukraine,” the defense official said.

This story has been updated with additional details.

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