The Pentagon is letting a small number of U.S. defense contractors fix weapons in Ukraine

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is easing restrictions to allow a small number of private U.S. defense contacts to work in Ukraine and help repair and maintain equipment, U.S. officials said Friday.

The contractors will be far from the front line during the work The invasion of Russia and will not participate in the battle, officials said. The department is now soliciting bids, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal decisions.

Ukraine has received billions of dollars in American weapons and equipment the past two years, including a number of advanced systems. For much of that time, U.S. and allied forces have provided real-time maintenance advice using phones and tablets to communicate with Ukrainian forces in encrypted chat rooms.

Officials said the Pentagon is allowing the contractors to go because of certain equipment, including F-16 fighter jets And air defense systems — requires high-tech expertise to repair. They say using the contractors will ensure that the weapons are repaired quickly so that the Ukrainian armed forces can continue to use them in combat.

The decision expands the footprint of U.S. government contractors working in Ukraine. The State Department has already signed contracts with American companies to work in the country, including on the energy network. In addition, a number of American companies have employees in Ukraine under contract to the Kiev government.

Officials said the companies are responsible for the safety of their workers.