Washington: The U.S has claimed that it is giving training to soldiers of Ukraine on operating the ‘deadly’ Switchblade drones that have been supplied to Ukraine. Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said before the start of the war, only a handful of Ukrainian troops were present in the US.

"We took the opportunity, having them still in the country, to give them a couple of days' worth of training on the Switchblades, so they can go back to train others in the Ukrainian military," Kirby said.

Claiming that around a hundred remotely controlled drones have been given to Ukraine, he said that they are like flying bombs that are crashed into targets where they explode.

He said that these drones will give more power to Ukraine to fight against Russian forces.

Claiming that less than a dozen Ukrainian soldiers are present in the U. S, he said that soon, they will return to Ukraine after gaining knowledge of operating drones.

President Joe Biden announced on March 16 that, among other weaponry and munitions Washington was shipping to the Ukrainians, it would start sending the Switchblades.

Named for the way their wings unfold when launched, Switchblades are called loitering munitions, because they can be flown to target areas and held there until the right moment when a target is identified. The operator then flies them into the target where they explode.

The original version, small enough to carry in a backpack, was used by US forces in Afghanistan.
A larger version, with enough explosives to take out armoured vehicles, has also been developed. But the Pentagon would not say which one has been sent to Ukraine, if not both.

Meanwhile, the United States announced Tuesday it was releasing another $100 million worth of military aid to Ukraine as its forces push Russians out of the Kyiv region.