US investigates claims American gear used in raids on Russia – POLITICO

KYIV — Washington is investigating experiences that U.S. navy autos had been utilized in raids on Russia, a White Home official stated Wednesday, warning Ukraine and pro-Ukraine forces towards utilizing U.S. gear to assault inside Russia.

Two pro-Ukraine Russian paramilitary teams claimed duty for an incursion Monday into Russia’s Belgorod area from Ukraine, wherein they overran a number of small villages. Moscow stated Wednesday it had defeated the teams, killing greater than 70 individuals and destroying U.S.-made navy autos.

U.S. Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson John Kirby stated Wednesday the White Home is “wanting into these experiences that the U.S. gear and autos might have been concerned,” hinting at frustration in Washington.

“We’ve been fairly darn clear: We don’t assist using U.S.-made gear for assaults inside Russia … we’ve been clear about that with the Ukrainians,” Kirby stated. “I received’t get into personal discussions that we’re having with them. However I believe we’ve been nothing however constant about our considerations in that regard.”

Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder on Tuesday stated the U.S. had not approved nor obtained Ukrainian requests for transferring gear to paramilitary teams. He additionally expressed doubts concerning the Russian experiences and pictures showing to point out U.S.-made autos. 

“I don’t know if it’s true or not, when it comes to the veracity of that imagery,” stated Ryder. “You’ll recall [this week] there have been some bogus pictures of reported, alleged explosions on the Pentagon. So, you recognize, we simply — all of us, each throughout the [defense department] and I’m positive within the … journalistic group, have to check out these items and ensure we get the info earlier than we make assumptions.”

Ukraine has denied involvement within the assault, saying the 2 teams — Legion of Free Russia and Russian Volunteer Corps — consist solely of Russian residents who’re preventing on Kyiv’s aspect, aiming to create a demilitarized zone on the border with Ukraine.

Andriy Cherniak, a consultant of Ukraine’s Navy Intelligence or HUR, informed POLITICO that navy support supplied by the U.S. and different Western allies is strictly restricted to be used by the Ukrainian military.

“Each bullet is tracked not solely by us but additionally by our Western allies,” Cherniak stated, including he didn’t know the place the paramilitary teams obtained the U.S.-made autos. Whereas he insisted the teams acted on their very own, Cherniak stated HUR has been involved with them and has noticed elevated anti-Putin sentiment amongst Russians.

“Our principal purpose is to guard Ukraine. For us, these are Russian residents who’re towards Putin and need to shake his regime. So we work with whoever we will to achieve our principal purpose,” Cherniak stated. “Increasingly in Russia perceive they don’t need to die for [Putin] at battle.”

Russian Protection Minister Sergei Shoigu described the teams as Ukrainian “nationalists” throughout a televised assembly with Russian navy officers and displayed pictures of two severely broken armored autos that look just like these supplied by the U.S. to Ukraine as a part of navy support.

“Throughout counterterrorist operations, models of nationalist formations had been blocked and defeated by air strikes and artillery hearth and lively actions. The remnants of the nationalists had been thrown into the territory of Ukraine, the place the battle continued till they had been fully eradicated,” Shoigu stated.

The 2 teams themselves, nonetheless, claimed they had been in a position to return to Ukraine with solely two killed and 10 injured from the Legion of Free Russia, in addition to two injured from the Russian Volunteer Corps.

When requested about how they obtained U.S.-made autos, Russian Volunteer Corps’ Denis Kapustin, aka “White Rex” (the identical title as his white nationalist clothes line), joked that his fighters might have bought them at any navy retailer — mocking remarks from Vladimir Putin about how Russian-backed militants obtained weapons to battle Ukraine in Donbas in 2014.

Kapustin additionally claimed his group had taken again navy autos stolen from Ukraine.

“The purpose of our peacekeeping operation into Belgorod area was additionally to destroy legislation enforcement serving Putin’s regime and likewise display to the individuals of Russia that resistance is feasible,” the Legion of Free Russia stated Tuesday.

The Russian Volunteer Corps additionally claimed they wished to point out Russians they don’t seem to be protected by Putin. 

Alexander Ward reported from and Lara Seligman contributed reporting from Washington.