A new report contradicts Pentagon assurances that US military hardware will only be utilized within Ukraine’s borders, claiming that pro-Ukraine forces appeared to employ at least three US military vehicles as they attacked Russian territory on Monday.
According to pictures corroborated by The New York Times, Russian soldiers captured at least two American Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) trucks.
US Military Equipment Used By Pro-Ukraine
As per reports, pro-Ukraine proxy troops, which frequently include Russians who disagree with Russian President Vladimir Putin, used the equipment. Unknown is how these pro-Ukraine forces would have acquired US military hardware.
In response to the news, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, stated on Tuesday that the US government has not given its approval for Ukraine to transfer American military hardware to forces fighting on the side of a foreign power.
In order to determine whether the images of the MRAPs can be verified, he claimed that the Pentagon is investigating the particular occurrence in Russia.
The purpose for which such weaponry was given to Ukraine would be defeated if it were used in Russia.
For comparison, the $38 billion in security aid that the US has delivered or pledged to Ukraine since the start of the Biden administration includes more than 2,000 HMMWVs and more than 500 MRAPs.
Presidents Biden and Zelensky Discuss F-16s and Ukraine’s Autonomy
In a recent chat about the delivery of F-16s to Kyiv, US President Joseph Biden shared a similar opinion with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US does not promote or allow assaults inside of Russia, and we have made that plain. But, he expressed skepticism about reports that the technology given by the US was used to attack Russia.
Yet, as we have repeatedly stated, Ukraine must decide how to wage this conflict.
Such skepticism about the images is quite understandable in a conflict that involves massive information operations by all parties, given how images of American equipment captured or destroyed in Russia would fit into Moscow’s narrative—that it is fighting not just Ukraine but also America and the NATO alliance.
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