Kiev, Dec 27 (IANS): Ukraine has signed fresh contracts with US to buy more Javelin anti-tank missile systems, the advanced fire-and-forget portable anti-tank missiles, Ukraine's Defence Ministry said.

"During the 4th quarter ... the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine managed to sign contracts for the supply of the second batch of anti-tank missile systems 'Javelin', which are manufactured by the USA," Xinhua quoted Deputy Defence Minister of Ukraine Anatoliy Petrenko as saying on Thursday.

The contract is the first large-scale one of direct inter-governmental defence purchases between Ukraine and the US, said the Ukrainian Embassy in the US.

"This is a huge step forward for Ukraine. The old regulation forbade the Ukrainian Defense Ministry to buy the weapons and equipment from foreign countries directly. The changes will expand our capabilities to strengthen the state's military-technical and defense potential," the Ukrainian Embassy said on its Facebook page.

Earlier this year, Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk announced an increase in defence spending for the next year.

The first shipment of Javelin systems were delivered to Ukraine in April last year.