On Thursday, a high-ranking US military official stated that Ukraine has been urged by the United States not to utilize American-provided military equipment to carry out attacks within Russian territory. This statement follows Russia’s accusation that pro-Ukrainian militia used US armored vehicles.
General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, disclosed that his office is investigating social media images showing vehicles and military hardware employed in a cross-border incursion by militia in Russia’s Belgorod region earlier in the week. During a press conference at the Pentagon, Milley commented, “I cannot currently confirm with certainty whether that – and I have seen the same video – whether that is US-supplied equipment or not, what was the nature of the attack, and who did what to whom.”
He added, “I cannot assert that definitively at this moment, but I can say that we have requested the Ukrainians to refrain from using US-supplied equipment for direct attacks into Russia.”
The Russian defense ministry released footage showing destroyed vehicles, including American-made Humvee combat trucks. However, the authenticity of the video has not been verified.
Russia alleged that Ukrainian forces killed a resident of the Belgorod region and issued a stern warning to Kyiv, vowing to respond “extremely” harshly to any future incursions.
Following two days of fighting in the southern region of Belgorod, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu addressed military officials, stating, “We will continue to respond promptly and extremely harshly to such actions by Ukrainian militants.”
Significantly, in the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine war, which commenced when Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022, the border region of Belgorod in the southern part of the country has been subjected to repeated shelling, resulting in the deaths of dozens of individuals.
Authorities have reported a series of incidents involving members of “sabotage” groups crossing over from Ukraine. Last month, a Russian fighter jet accidentally dropped ammunition over the city of Belgorod.
The Ukrainian government has denied any involvement in the Belgorod raid, which was claimed by two anti-Kremlin armed organizations comprised of Russian nationals, some of whom are far-right leaders.
In response to the alleged attack on the Kremlin, Russia blamed Ukraine. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied any involvement and stated, “We don’t attack Putin or Moscow; we fight on our territory.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine has already declared that it will not employ the longer-range weapons provided by the US to attack Russian territory, but rather target Russian soldiers on occupied Ukrainian land.
Milley clarified that restrictions on US support to Ukraine following Russia’s invasion in February 2022 were aimed at ensuring Kyiv’s self-defense against Russian forces within Ukraine. He emphasized, “Why is that? Because we don’t want – this is a Ukrainian war. It is not a war between the United States and Russia. It’s not a war between NATO and Russia.”
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