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Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative

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"USAI" redirects here. For the defunct multi-level marketing company, see United Sciences of America. For other uses, see USAI (disambiguation).
Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative
(part of military aid to Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War)
Seal of the United States Department of Defense
Project typeSecurity assistance and intelligence support for Ukraine[a]
Funding agencyDepartment of Defense
Framework programmeUS security assistance for Ukraine[b]
Reference
Legislation:
Location
  • Europe
  • USA
Project coordinatorU.S. Congress
Participants
Partners
  • NSATU
  • UDCG
  • International Donor Coordination Centre 
Budget
  • Total:   US$33,989.8 million appropriated by Congress as of September 30, 2025 (2025-09-30)
  • Funding: [1]
    by fiscal years, in millions (USD):[c]
    • FY2016    US$226.5
    • FY2017    US$148.6
    • FY2018    US$195.5
    • FY2019    US$214.8
    • FY2020    US$256.7
    • FY2021    US$275.7
    • FY2022   US$6,300.0
    • FY2023  US$12,300.0
    • FY2024  US$14,072.0
Duration2016 fiscal year – present
Security Assistance Group Ukraine
Also known asSAG–Ukraine, SAG-U
FounderDepartment of Defense
Founding leaderUSEUCOM (ADCON)
LeaderUSAREUR-AF (OPCON)
COM SAG-ULTG Curtis A. Buzzard
Unit typeOperational command
FoundationUSAI (Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative)
Dates of operationNovember 4, 2022 (2022-11-04)- pr.
Country(recipient) Ukraine
(forward basing only)
Allegiance United States Armed Forces
MotivesRussia deterrence
Headquarters DE (Commd. Center)
50°02′59″N 8°19′31″E / 50.0498°N 8.3254°E / 50.0498; 8.3254
Active regionsUSEUCOM AOR
Major actions3 RUS-UKR front-line monthly movements[d]
StatusMultinational, active
SizeHHC-equivalent[4]
Part ofOperation Atlantic Resolve (as Command)
AlliesCommands  •  Alliances:
Opponents(to be deterred):
Websiteunit/SAG-U
Notes
    1. ^ Including training, equipment, logistics support, and supplies and services to military and other security forces of Ukraine
    2. ^ with two other programme streams being FMF and Presidential Drawdown Authority
    3. ^ FY2016-FY2021, actuals as reported by the Department of Defense; FY2022-FY2024, as appropriated. As of Q2FY2025, $33.512 billion were appropriated, $23.29 billion obligated, and $12.469 billion disbursed under USAI since FY2022.[2]: 27 Table 5 
    4. ^ As of July 2025 by SAG-U Operations Kyiv, at least, to the Ukraine-Russia front-line locations, non-locally authorized.[3]: 37 
    5. ^ Before 2025, having handed over its responsibilities to NSATU.[3]: 37 [5]: 44 Table 10 
    6. ^ Since 2022, after Belarus allowed Russia to use its territory to launch the invasion and to launch missiles into Ukraine. See: Belarusian involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
Overwiew
«Група безпекового сприяння Україні»,
Європейське командування ЗС США  (Ukrainian)
abbr. SAG-U
Part of US spending since Russian invasion[6]
Clay Kaserne (garrison patron Gen. Clay, Mil. Governor of U.S. Occupation Zone in Germany, 1947- 49). 2012
FoundedAPR 2022 (inaugurated)[a]
NOV 4, 2022 (established)[b]
Allegiance US Army
TypeTitle 10 combined joint service long-term operational assistant command
RoleProvisioning of military training, education and logistics to AFU
Size329 personnel as of April 2025 (2025-04)[c]
Part of USEUCOM (administratively, within Operation Atlantic Resolve)[10]
USAREUR-AF (operationally)[7]
Command
Centre		Clay Kaserne, Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, Hesse, Germany
Commanders
Commander
3-star rank		LTG  Curtis Alan  Buzzard US Army (JUL'24-pres.)[e]
DCOM
2-star rank		Major General Duane R. Miller United States Army[11]
Deputy
commander		Major General  Kevin V. Doyle  United States Air Force[d]
Command
Srg.Major		SGM Mark Morgan (DEC 2024-present)  United States Army[h]
Notable
commanders		(first holder) GEN Chris Donahue, USA[f] • LTG Antonio Aguto, USA[g]
Today
part
of
  • 18,000t/month average throughput[i]
  • 37 pers.-SAG-U Operations Kyiv (SOK)[j]
  • 3 UA monthly movements by SOK[k]
NSATU
• SAG–U •
EUMAM UA
Operational coherence: SAG-U —NSATU coordination;[l] EUMAM UA — SAG-U data sharing, staff rotation
Footnotes
    1. ^ As Task Force Dragon, at the Base's Tony Bass Auditorium, funded by European Deterrence Initiative.[7]
    2. ^ As long-term assistance command.[8]
    3. ^ Including two of its planning directorate placed in NSATU command to coordinate AFU's training requirements.[2]: 45  SAG-U's multinational personnel is collocated with NSATU HQ[9] (prior to 2025, with informal International Donor Coordination Centre, IDCC, of more then 50 countries, under UK Brigadier command; IDCC handed over its responsibilities to NSATU).[5]: 44  SAG-U US- only personnel includes up to 60 experts at SAG-U Operations Kyiv (SOK) under authority of the Chief of US Mission in Kyiv.[3]: 37 Table 14 
    4. ^ From June 2024.[4]
    5. ^ As nominated for OAR.[12] Since December 2024, concurrently COM NSATU.[13]
    6. ^ then COM XVIII Airborne Corps. As Task Force Dragon Commander served till December 2022. Promoted in December 2024 to CG USAREUR-AF overseeing, among others, SAG-U.[7]
    7. ^ From DEC'22-DEC'24.[7]
    8. ^ Concurrently NSATU Enlisted Advisor[14]
    9. ^ As of August 2025 cargo tonnage through Poland LEN hub only[9]
    10. ^ As of October 2024 average US- only SAG-U personnel stationed under authority of the Chief of US Mission in Kyiv, Ukraine.[2]: 58 
    11. ^ As of July 2025 by SAG-U Operations Kyiv, at least, to the Ukraine-Russia front-line locations, non-locally authorized.[3]: 37 
    12. ^ Here’s a snapshot of the current NSATU–SAG-U joint efforts that were confirmed at the 21 July 2025 UDCG extended meeting:
      • US–NATO co‑funding mechanism (new channel announced by US president Donald Trump and Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte for European and Canadian allies to pool funds to purchase US‑made weapons and technology for Ukraine providing faster access to high‑demand systems);
      • Air defense boost (packages of Patriot missile systems and other advanced air‑defense assets pledged by allies to counter Russia’s intensified missile and drone strikes);
      • Industrial and financial backing (long‑term funding streams to expand defense production capacity in Europe and North America to replenish stocks while sustaining Ukraine’s needs over multiple years).
Preceded by
EUCOM Control Center-Ukraine/
Task Force Dragon[7]

Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative or USAI is a U.S. Department of Defense-led funding program to increase Ukraine's capacity to defend itself more effectively against Russian aggression through the further training of its Armed Forces, equipment, and advisory initiatives.[15]

Overview

Included in USAI packages were training, equipment, and advising activities, in order to improve Ukraine's defensive capabilities, such as marine domain awareness, operational safety, and capacity of Ukrainian Air Force facilities, as well as its lethality, command, control, and survivability. To counter Russian cyberattacks and misinformation, USAI also supports cyber defense and strategic communications.[1]

The USAI, in collaboration with the United States Department of State, supports a wide range of security assistance activities, including, but not limited to, intelligence support, personnel training, equipment and logistics support, supplies, and other services.[16]

Security Assistance Group Ukraine (SAG-U)

Security Assistance Group-Ukraine (SAG-U) personnel, including those forward-deployed as part of SAG-U Operations-Kyiv, has been providing advising support to Ukrainian defense leaders, including the AFU and the Ukrainian National Guard.

In 2022, SAGU was formed as a point of contact. By 21 July 2022, the EUCOM Control Center-Ukraine/International Donor Coordination Centre (ECCU/IDCC) a joint cell formed in March 2022 had trained 1,500 Ukrainian Armed Forces members on coalition-donated equipment.[17] By 4 November 2022, the equipment shipments, and training measures of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group had become repeatable enough to systematize in a Security Assistance Group Ukraine (SAG-U), based in Wiesbaden, Germany.[18][19][20][1] This long-term assistance command[20] was initially staffed on an emergency basis by XVIII Airborne Corps commander Christopher T. Donohue. SAGU's first commander, Lieutenant General Antonio Aguto, was approved by the Senate on 22 December 2022.[21]

By January 2023 500 Ukrainian soldiers per month were being trained.[22] In December 2024, Curtis A. Buzzard assumed command. [23]

As of December 2025, Security Assistance Group–Ukraine (SAG-U) functions as the primary US-led operational command responsible for coordinating security assistance, oversight, and logistics for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). Headquartered at Lucius D. Clay Kaserne in Wiesbaden, Germany, the group was formally established in November 2022. To ensure strategic alignment between US bilateral efforts and the broader alliance, the group is led by Lieutenant General Curtis A. Buzzard, who is "dual-hatted" as the commander of the NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU).[24] This integrated leadership structure was formalized in late 2024 to streamline decision-making and minimize redundancy across the multinational coalition.

SAG-U operates within a complex international framework, working in tandem with NSATU to manage functions previously overseen by the ad hoc International Donor Coordination Center (IDCC). In 2025, coordination responsibilities formally transitioned toward a NATO-led model to ensure enduring support regardless of political shifts in individual donor nations.[25] Logistics are executed through Logistics Enabling Nodes (LENs) in Poland, which serve as secure hubs for the receipt, repair, and transfer of military equipment.

Beyond immediate logistics, SAG-U supports the Operational Force Development Framework (OFDeF), a strategic roadmap designed to transform Ukraine’s military into a NATO-interoperable force.[26] The command facilitates multinational training pipelines; by mid-2025, these initiatives had trained approximately 192,000 Ukrainian personnel across allied nations, managed through the co-located NSATU headquarters.[27]

Funding

The $3 billion dispersed through the initiative in August 2022 can be used to purchase equipment, arms, and ammunition directly from U.S. defense contractors.[28]

Status of Appropriated Funds as of FY2025Q3

Appropriations under USAI[5]: 30 

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Welt, Cory; Arabia, Christina L.; Bowen, Andrew S. (March 28, 2022). "U.S. Security Assistance to Ukraine". at=Table3. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Special Inspector General for OAR Report to the Congress, Q2FY2025 (PDF) (Report). 2 May 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2025 – via stateoig.gov.
  3. ^ a b c d Special Inspector General for OAR Report to the Congress, Q4FY2024 (PDF) (Report). 13 November 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2025 – via media.defence.gov.
  4. ^ a b "Major General Kevin V. Doyle". United States Air Force. Archived from the original on 30 November 2025. [...]SAG-U comprised of approximately 500 joint and multinational service members from over 25 countries
  5. ^ a b c Special Inspector General for OAR Report to the Congress, Q3FY2025 (PDF) (Report). 15 August 2025. Retrieved 15 August 2025 – via stateoig.gov.
  6. ^ "U.S. Security Cooperation with Ukraine–Fact Sheet". U.S. Department of State. 12 March 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025 – via state.gov.
  7. ^ a b c d e Entous, Adam (29 March 2025). "The Partnership: The Secret History of the War in Ukraine". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 March 2025.
  8. ^ Spencer B. Meredith III. "Building Strategic Lethality: Special Operations Models for Joint Force Learning and Leader Development". Joint Force Quarterly (118, 3rd Quarter 2025): 30–41. Retrieved 29 August 2025. Two key organizations have coordinated the broad U.S.-led effort: Security Assistance Group–Ukraine (SAG-U) on the conventional side and CJSOTF-10 for special operations. Both have served as supply hubs and information conduits for the joint force, interagency, and international partners sustaining the Ukrainian war effort.
  9. ^ a b Siebold, Sabine (2 July 2025). "Military aid increasingly focuses on boosting Ukraine's defence industry". Reuters. Retrieved 16 July 2025. The United States, however, provides NSATU's commander and about 9% of its personnel in Wiesbaden.
  10. ^ Belkin, Paul; Bowen, Andrew S.; Nelson, Rebecca M.; Welt, Cory (23 December 2024). "Russia's War Against Ukraine: U.S. Policy and the Role of Congress". Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 27 July 2025 – via Congress.gov, Library of Congress.
  11. ^
    1. Le, Tam (1 June 2025). "Task Force Saber assumes JMTG-U mission during transfer of authority ceremony". 7th Army Training Command. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
    2. "General Officer Assignments". U.S. Department of War. 1 May 2024. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 30 November 2025.
  12. ^ "General Officer Announcements". U.S. Department of Defense. 2024-07-24. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  13. ^ "About NSATU" (PDF). shape.nato.int. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  14. ^ "Leadership". shape.nato.int/nsatu. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  15. ^ "Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) Archives". U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. Retrieved 2022-04-02.
  16. ^ "Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 President's Budget: Direct War and Enduring Cost Appendix" (PDF). Defense Security Cooperation Agency. May 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  17. ^ Machi, Vivienne (21 July 2022). "Inside the multinational logistics cell coordinating military aid for Ukraine". Defense News. Stuttgart, Germany.
  18. ^ Liebermann, Oren; Starr, Barbara (29 September 2022). "Pentagon working to form new command to coordinate arming and training Ukraine". CNN.
  19. ^ Ware, Doug G. (4 November 2022). "Pentagon announces another $400 million in military aid to Ukraine, establishes headquarters in Germany to handle shipments and training". Stars and Stripes. Washington. The department also announced the creation of a new security headquarters in Germany that will handle weapons shipments and personnel training. It will be called the Security Assistance Group Ukraine, or SAGU.
  20. ^ a b Myers, Meghann (9 November 2022). "Long-term assistance command to oversee training mission with Ukraine". Military Times.
  21. ^
    1. "Lieutenant General Antonio A. Aguto, Jr. (USA)". General Officer Management Office. 22 December 2022. Archived from the original on 2021-06-10.
    2. Jonathan Turner (2 December 2022). "Aguto will lead a new Army headquarters in Germany after leaving Rock Island Arsenal". Our Quad Cities.
  22. ^ Seligman, Lara; McLeary, Paul (18 January 2023). "U.S. prepping major military package for Ukraine". Politico. Retrieved 12 November 2025. Friday's announcement is expected to include Stryker vehicles, but not tanks.
  23. ^ "Press Release - Security Assistance Group–Ukraine Change of Command" (Press release). USAREUR-AF. 24 December 2024. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  24. ^ "General Officer Announcements". US Department of Defense. July 24, 2024. Retrieved Nov 30, 2025.[dead link]
  25. ^ Ivan Diakonov (17 January 2025). "NATO takes over coordination of military aid to Ukraine". Ukrainska Pravda. Archived from the original on November 30, 2025.
  26. ^ "NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine". Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). July 11, 2024. Retrieved Nov 30, 2025.
  27. ^ "Commander NSATU attends dialogue with Ukrainian Defence Minister". NSATU Public Affairs Office. Nov 6, 2025. Retrieved Nov 30, 2025.
  28. ^ Michael D. Shear; John Ismay (August 24, 2022). "Biden announces a nearly $3 billion package of arms and equipment for Ukraine". The New York Times. Retrieved August 26, 2022.


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