Russia says it could target Western arms supplies to Ukraine

Russia said its troops could target supplies of Western weapons in Ukraine

U.S. Army soldiers wait in a staging area before boarding a transport plane bound for Europe on a deployment launched in response to the invasion of Ukraine by Russiaon March 11, 2022. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Russia on Saturday said its troops could target supplies of Western weapons in Ukraine, where the Russian Army has been advancing since late February.

“We warned the United States that the orchestrated pumping of weapons from a number of countries is not just a dangerous move, it is a move that turns these convoys into legitimate targets,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told state television.

Mr. Ryabkov said Moscow had warned “about the consequences of the thoughtless transfer to Ukraine of weapons like man-portable air defence systems, anti-tank missile systems and so on.”

The Russian Foreign Minister said Washington had not taken Moscow’s warnings seriously and added that Russia and the U.S. were not holding any “negotiation processes” on Ukraine.

President Vladimir Putin sent Russian troops into Ukraine on February 24 and said he aims to “de-Nazify” the country.

Moscow has been hit by a barrage of international sanctions since Mr. Putin sent in troops.