Moscow [Russia], June 1 (ANI): Moscow negatively assesses the latest package of US military assistance to the war-torn country Ukraine, including the supply of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), said the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov on Wednesday.
“We regard this purely negatively because attempts to present the solution as containing an element of ‘self-restraint’ are unsuitable,” Sputnik quoted Ryabkov as saying.
A senior US administration official told reporters earlier this week that Washington will unveil the 11th security aid package for Ukraine worth USD 700 million, which includes HIMARS rocket systems, on Wednesday. Kiev, in turn, assured Washington that will not use the long range systems for targets on Russian territory.
“Tomorrow we’ll be announcing the 11th package of security assistance under the presidential drawdown authority. That package will contain longer-range systems, specifically HIMARS, and munitions that will enable the Ukrainians to more precisely strike targets on the battlefield,” the official said on Tuesday, Sputnik reported.
The package is worth USD 700 million, the official said.
Russia started its military operation in Ukraine on February 24. This large-scale operation has reportedly resulted in a humanitarian crisis, leading to crippling sanctions from Western countries targeting Moscow’s high-profile individuals and companies. (ANI)