The Kremlin said on Wednesday that the use of US-made military hardware by pro-Ukrainian fighters who conducted a raid on a Russian border region this week was testament to the West’s growing involvement in the Ukraine conflict.
The Russian military said on Tuesday it had routed militants who attacked the Russian border region of Belgorod with armoured vehicles the previous day, killing more than 70 “Ukrainian nationalists” and pushing the remainder back into Ukraine. It said it had destroyed four armoured vehicles and five pick-up trucks to repel what was one of the largest incursions onto Russian soil from Ukraine since Moscow launched what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine 15 months ago. Footage of some of the destroyed vehicles released by the Russian defence ministry showed US-made military hardware such as Humvee military trucks. The convoy also included two US-made MaxxPro MRAP armoured vehicles
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu promisedthat Moscow would respond to any more cross-border raids by Ukrainian militants swiftly and “extremely harshly”. “It is no secret for us that more and more equipment is being delivered to Ukraine’s armed forces,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “And it is no secret for us that the direct and indirect involvement of Western countries in this conflict is growing by the day. We are drawing the appropriate conclusions.”
White House spokesman John Kirby said Washington had been clear with Ukraine it did not support the use of US-made equipment for attacks inside Russia itself, and was looking into the reports. Ukrainedenied any role in the raid, whichwere claimed by two anti-Kremlin armed groups made up of Russians.
The Russian military said on Tuesday it had routed militants who attacked the Russian border region of Belgorod with armoured vehicles the previous day, killing more than 70 “Ukrainian nationalists” and pushing the remainder back into Ukraine. It said it had destroyed four armoured vehicles and five pick-up trucks to repel what was one of the largest incursions onto Russian soil from Ukraine since Moscow launched what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine 15 months ago. Footage of some of the destroyed vehicles released by the Russian defence ministry showed US-made military hardware such as Humvee military trucks. The convoy also included two US-made MaxxPro MRAP armoured vehicles
Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu promisedthat Moscow would respond to any more cross-border raids by Ukrainian militants swiftly and “extremely harshly”. “It is no secret for us that more and more equipment is being delivered to Ukraine’s armed forces,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “And it is no secret for us that the direct and indirect involvement of Western countries in this conflict is growing by the day. We are drawing the appropriate conclusions.”
White House spokesman John Kirby said Washington had been clear with Ukraine it did not support the use of US-made equipment for attacks inside Russia itself, and was looking into the reports. Ukrainedenied any role in the raid, whichwere claimed by two anti-Kremlin armed groups made up of Russians.