Kiev received rifles and grenade launchers originally destined for Yemen
US Central Command announced on Tuesday that Washington had intercepted and transferred to Kiev thousands of Kalashnikov assault rifles and machine guns, in addition to more than half a million rounds of ammunition, in addition to grenade launchers and sniper rifles.
Transferred on April 4 and included “sufficient equipment” To equip one Ukrainian brigade with small arms, US Central Command He said In a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“The US government transferred more than 5,000 AK-47 rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, RPG-7 grenades, and more than 500,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.” books.
The Pentagon claims that the weapons and ammunition were on their way from Iran to the Houthi militia in Yemen, in violation of the UN arms embargo, when they were seized by the US Navy and its allies from several countries. “Stateless transit ships” Off the coast of Yemen between May 2021 and February 2023.
In December, the US government “I took ownership of these relics.” Through civil forfeiture claims by the Department of Justice. Civil asset forfeiture is a practice that allows the US government to seize property suspected of being used in criminal activity, and has long been criticized as a fait accompli. theft.
He added, “US Central Command is committed to working with our allies and partners to confront the flow of deadly Iranian aid in the region by all legitimate means.” She claimed, insisting on this, that Tehran “Support for armed groups threatens international and regional security.”
The announcement came amid uncertainty about additional US funding for the war effort in Ukraine. President Joe Biden has been urging Congress for months to approve his aid package, which will allocate $60 billion to Ukraine. Many Republicans have opposed the measure, demanding more efforts to strengthen US border security, while seeking more accountability for aid already diverted to Kiev.
The United States has provided Ukraine with $113 billion in various forms of assistance since the start of hostilities. At the same time, Russia has repeatedly condemned Western arms shipments to Ukraine, saying that would only prolong the conflict, while making the West a direct participant in the hostilities.
