The United States is said to be considering providing Ukraine with weapons to strike the Crimean Peninsula, which became part of Russia in 2014 after nearly 97% of the population voted in favor of reunification.
The potential delivery of weapons capable of targeting Russia from Ukraine is extremely dangerous and would take the conflict to a new level, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned.
He likewise stressed that such a development would not bode well for global and pan-European security.
Peskov added that the statements by the Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov that Russian forces would not leave strikes on Russian territory, including Crimea, unanswered, reflected the Kremlin's official position.
Earlier in the day, Antonov said that the Russian army would destroy any weapons provided by the United States and other western countries to Ukraine, and retaliate attacks on the Russian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula.
The US and several other western countries recently announced new military supplies to Kiev, including battle tanks, armored infantry vehicles and artillery systems. The US Department of State said that Ukrainians may acquire the possibility to carry out strikes against Russian troops in Crimea thanks to weapons supplied by Washington.
Anti-aircraft gunners use Buk surface-to-air missile systems to intercept any aircraft as well as low-flying hostile cruise missiles.
"It is said that American MLRS HIMARS as well as Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles could be used in the future to launch the offensive in the Crimean direction.
Commentators naively believe that Russia will not respond to attacks on its territory. It should be clear for everyone – we will destroy any weapons supplied to the Zelensky's regime by either the United States or NATO." Anatoly Antonov, Russian Ambassador to the US, Said.
He added that the latest statements by US officials were becoming more and more "belligerent," and the US State Department, through its "out-of-touch assertions," was pushing Ukraine "to carry out terrorist attacks in Russia."
The ambassador also said that further pumping Kiev with arms would only lead to an increase in civilian casualties. Concluding his response, Antonov urged "thinking into" statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and added that it was "impossible to defeat the Russian Federation."
On Wednesday, US media reported, citing sources, that the Biden administration was now taking a softer stance on supplying Kiev with weapons capable of conducting strikes against Crimea, even though this could intensify hostilities. Earlier in the day, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that Washington did not encourage Ukraine to attack the Russian territory, however, it did not recognize Crimea as part of Russia.
Meanwhile, the White House hinted that a new military assistance package for Ukraine could be announced as soon as the end of the week. Other western countries are expected to make similar announcements at a gathering at the US Ramstein air base in Germany on January 20.
Russia has previously sent a note to NATO countries to protest the supplies of weapons to Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasizing that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for the Russian forces.
Russian MoD's latest statements on the Ukraine crisis:
Russia’s Army Aviation and artillery have neutralised units from the 14th and 92nd mechanised brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the LPR and Kharkov region.
Over 30 Ukrainian personnel, 1 armoured fighting vehicle, 2 motor vehicles, and 2 Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers have been eliminated.
The strikes launched by Russia’s aviation and artillery have resulted in the neutralisation of the units from Ukrainian 95th Airborne Assault Brigade in the DPR, and 24th Mechanised Brigade in the LPR.
Russia’s units continued their successful offensive operations, and neutralised the enemy in Donetsk.
The offensive operations of Russia’s units have resulted in taking more advantageous lines, as well as elimination of over 30 Ukrainian personnel, 2 armoured fighting vehicles, and 3 pickups in the Southern Donetsk region.
The Operational-Tactical Aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have neutralised 67 AFU artillery units at their firing positions, manpower and hardware in 98 areas.
Fighter Aviation from the Russian Aerospace Forces have shot down 1 Ukrainian Air Force Su-25 warplane in the DPR.
Air defence units have destroyed five Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles over the past 24 hours.
Some 374 airplanes and 200 helicopters, 2,903 unmanned aerial vehicles, 401 air defence missile systems, 7,569 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 985 fighting vehicles equipped with MLRS, 3,865 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 8,113 special military motor vehicles have been destroyed during the special military operation.
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