Cabinet ministers approved a decree providing for "the transfer of military means, material and equipment to the governmental authorities of Ukraine", a spokesman for Prime Minister Mario Draghi's office said.

The United States, Canada and more than a dozen European countries have so far responded to Ukrainian appeals for military equipment.

The announcement is separate from Sunday's news that Italy would immediately transfer 110 million euros ($120 million) for the Ukrainian government.

But it was not immediately clear if the military support was part of a wider package unveiled by Brussels Sunday, in which the European Union agreed to unblock 450 million euros for member states to buy arms for Ukraine.