WASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The United States is

preparing a $375 million military aid package for Ukraine,

breaking a months-long trend towards smaller packages for Kyiv

for its military operations against Russia, two U.S. officials

told Reuters on Friday.

The latest package comes at a crucial time in the war, as

Russia pummels Ukraine's energy grid ahead of the critical

winter months.

The aid package, expected to be announced next week,

includes patrol boats, additional ammunition for high-mobility

artillery rocket systems (HIMARS), 155 and 105 millimeter

artillery ammunition, spare parts and other weapons, the

officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The contents and size of the package could change in the

coming days ahead of the president's expected signature.

Since May, the U.S. has not sent an aid package greater than

$275 million using Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA).

PDAs allow the U.S. to draw from current weapons stocks to

help allies in an emergency. In August, as Ukraine was pressing

an incursion into Russia and losing territory in its east to

Russian advances, the U.S. sent two packages, both for $125

million each.

Pro-Ukraine U.S. congressional leaders and President Joe

Biden's administration are working towards an agreement to seek

a one-year extension of about $5.5 billion worth of PDA for

Ukraine that is due to expire this month.

There was bipartisan support for the plan to include the

extension of the PDA in a Continuing Resolution, a short-term

emergency spending bill that the Senate and House of

Representatives must pass to avoid a Sept. 30 government

shutdown.

The authority set to expire in days was granted in a

supplemental spending bill passed in April after a long delay by

Republican opponents of Ukraine aid.

April also saw an increase in funds to buy new weapons that

would replenish the U.S. weapons stocks drawn down by Ukraine

PDA packages. Experts envisioned these new orders would boost

the order backlogs of weapons makers like RTX, Lockheed

Martin ( LMT ), General Dynamics ( GD ), and Northrop Grumman ( NOC )

.