Russia says destroyed Western weapons sent to Ukraine

MOSCOW (AFP): Moscow’s forces destroyed a large shipment of Western-supplied weapons in northwestern Ukraine with long-range missiles, the Russian defence ministry said Saturday.

“High-precision long-range sea-based Kalibr missiles destroyed a large batch of weapons and military equipment near the Malin railway station in Zhytomyr region delivered from the United States and European countries,” it said.

The ministry said the weapons were intended for Ukrainian forces in the eastern Donbas region, a Russian-speaking area that has been partially controlled by pro-Moscow separatists since 2014 and is now scene of some of the fiercest fighting in Ukraine.

Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on February 24, saying it aimed to “de-Nazify” the pro-Western country and protect the Russian speakers there.

Western countries have supplied Ukraine with weapons, including artillery, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons and other powerful materiel, but Kyiv has been pushing allies for more support.