After Russian forces started a full-scale offensive in the area this week, the US has revealed details of its newest military aid package to be utilised by Ukrainian forces in the country’s east.

The latest $800 million aid package includes the Phoenix Ghost, a new unmanned aerial warfare system or drone.

The drones, which are made by a US firm called Aevex Aerospace, are particularly well adapted for the struggle in Ukraine’s east, amid the flat and open landscape of the Donbas area, according to Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby.

“Without getting into the specs,” Kirby told reporters on Thursday, “the types of things this drone can perform lend themselves well to this particular kind of terrain.”

“I suppose I’ll simply leave it there.” But it serves a similar role as the Switchblade, which is essentially a one-way attack drone. And that’s exactly what this is intended to do.”

Drones like the Turkish Bayraktar TB2 and the US-made Switchblade have played an important part in the Ukrainian military’ defence against the Russian invasion thus far.

The Phoenix Ghost drones are mostly unknown, including their range and precision capabilities.

The drones, which have not yet been sent to Ukraine, are outfitted with onboard cameras, according to Kirby.

“Of course, it may be utilised to provide you a visual representation of what it’s viewing. “However, the main focus is on offence,” he explained.

He went on to say that the systems had been in the works since before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

“However, we will continue to advance that development in ways that are tailored to Ukrainian needs for tactical unmanned aerial systems in eastern Ukraine,” he added.

The Pentagon claimed that training for the Ghost drones would be comparable to that for the Switchblade, but it didn’t disclose how many Ukrainians would be taught on the new system or how long it would take.