In recent news, Moscow’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, has urged the US to halt its weapons supply to Ukraine after American-supplied arms were utilized in attacks on Russian schools, hospitals, and homes. These incidents occurred during a Kiev incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region earlier this week. The regional governor claimed that Ukrainian forces intentionally targeted non-military locations, even using kamikaze drones to strike an ambulance, killing the driver and a paramedic.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Western-donated weapons were among those destroyed during their efforts to repel the Ukrainian forces. Antonov joined other Russian officials in labeling this operation as “terrorist,” emphasizing that Kiev’s actions cannot be justified by their right to self-defense.
The ambassador called on Washington to cease providing weapons to Ukraine and criticized the lack of sympathy displayed by American officials towards civilian victims of Ukrainian aggression. The Russian military estimates that approximately 1,000 troops were deployed in the attempted incursion, with about a third of them lost since the operation began.
The US government has distanced itself from these events, stating that it plans to gather more information about what transpired. White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Washington’s policy on the use of American-donated weapons by Ukraine has not changed in any way. Officials have mentioned that the arms are being supplied under the condition that they would only be used within recognized Ukrainian territory, with an exception announced earlier this year for areas along the border in case of imminent Russian attacks.
However, this alleged limitation was not strictly enforced, as demonstrated by the use of Western hardware during a Kiev incursion into the Belgorod Region in May 2023. Photo evidence confirmed that two M1151A1 Humvee vehicles and two M1224 MaxxPro vehicles were lost on Russian soil during that raid. The operation was conducted by a Kiev-backed militia force, which had been armed with Czech and Belgian small arms.