Russia to consider western arms supply to Ukraine as 'legal military targets': Deputy FM

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has warned that all western weapons supplied to Ukraine would be considered ‘legitimate military targets’ by Kremlin troops. Speaking to Tass News Agency on Wednesday, he emphasized that "large scale pumping of modern weapons" by Washington as well as 30 member military alliance NATO is an effort by "westerners" to slow down Putin’s ‘Special Military Operation’ in the ex-Soviet state. As a result, he said, there was no meaning left in holding full-scale talks with the US. 

"In the context of Washington’s reckless support for the militant aspirations of the (Kyiv) regime with its large-scale pumping of modern weapons, any full-scale contacts with the US administration on the situation around Ukraine seem meaningless," Sergei Ryabkov said in an interview with TASS.

"We warn you that the US-NATO transports with weapons following the Ukrainian territory are considered by us as legitimate military targets," he asserted. 

It has been 50 days since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his special military operation saying that Kyiv threatened his country’s safety and security. During the past six weeks, there has been bloodshed that is now being compared to World War 2. Meanwhile, Ryabkov warned that any attempts to slow down the military operation or to damage Russian contingents would be countered with utmost force. "We bring the Americans and other Westerners to the understanding that attempts to slow down our special operation, inflict maximum damage to Russian contingents and formations of the DPR/LPR (Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People's Republic) will be severely suppressed," the Russian official he said.   

US announced new military aid

Meanwhile, Biden approved a new military assistance package worth $800 million in artillery and helicopters to support Ukraine. The decision came to bolster defence against the aggravated Russian assault on the ex-Soviet nation. According to Associated Press, the new tailored package includes advanced artillery systems, artillery rounds, and sophisticated armoured personnel carriers. The defence aid consignment will also include Mi-17 helicopters, unmanned surface vehicles missiles, and high-mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWV) or Humvees. As per previous reports, senior administration officials said the aid package was decided to be around $750 million, however, some equipment was to be included before the assistance was finalised. Biden signed the aid after a comprehensive discussion with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy to coordinate the aid delivery.

(Image: Image: AP/MFA_Russia/Twitter)