The US is rushing more Patriot missiles to Ukraine and will spend $6bn to build up domestic weapons manufacturing to support Kyiv, as the Joe Biden administration begins parcelling out funds unlocked by Congress this week.Lloyd Austin, the defence secretary, and CQ Brown, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, on Friday said the $6bn would procure military aid from US defence companies, which means it will take longer to reach Ukraine but should shore up its defences over a longer timeframe.

The $6bn package will include munitions for air defence systems including Patriots, and for High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as Himars, as well as radars and drones, the Pentagon said.

The announcement comes two days after President Biden signed into law a $95bn foreign aid package that included $61bn for Ukraine, which has been fighting Russia’s full-scale invasion for more than two years.