Washington has given Ukraine small arms and ammunition seized whereas being despatched by Iranian forces to Tehran-backed rebels in Yemen, the US navy mentioned on Tuesday.
The switch got here final week as Ukraine faces vital ammunition shortages and US Republican lawmakers are blocking new help, however it doesn’t meet Kiev’s want for key gadgets comparable to artillery and air protection munitions.
“The US authorities has transferred over 5,000 AK-47s, machine weapons, sniper rifles, RPG-7s and greater than 500,000 rounds of seven.62mm ammunition to the Ukrainian armed forces,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) mentioned on social media on Thursday.
“These weapons will assist Ukraine defend itself in opposition to the Russian invasion” and are enough materials to equip a brigade, the report mentioned.
The weapons and ammunition had been seized from 4 “stateless ships” between Could 2021 and February 2023 whereas the provides had been being transferred from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards to Yemen’s Huthi rebels, CENTCOM mentioned.
“The federal government obtained possession of those munitions by the Division of Justice’s civil forfeiture actions on December 1, 2023,” the report mentioned.
The Huthis have been attacking ships within the Crimson Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023 in assaults they are saying are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza – a big worldwide safety problem that threatens a key delivery route.
– Impasse in Congress over help –
“Iran’s help for armed teams threatens worldwide and regional safety, our armed forces, diplomatic personnel and civilians within the area, in addition to these of our companions. We are going to proceed to do every thing we are able to to make clear and cease Iran’s destabilizing actions. ‘, CENTCOM mentioned.
Washington made the same switch to Ukraine in early October, delivering 1.1 million 7.62mm rounds of ammunition that had been seized by Iranian forces en path to Yemen.
However the provide of essential artillery and air protection munitions to Ukraine has been held up by Republican lawmakers who’ve held up a $60 billion help bundle within the US Congress since final yr, and Kiev’s forces have needed to ration the ammunition amid uncertainty over when the following deliveries will happen. will arrive.
The USA introduced a $300 million help bundle for Kiev on March 12 – the primary since December – that included anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons and artillery shells, however warned on the time that it might run out after a number of weeks. .
That bundle was financed with cash the Pentagon had saved on different purchases, permitting the U.S. authorities to offer reduction regardless of the gridlock in Congress.
U.S. officers have led the push for worldwide help for Ukraine, rapidly constructing a coalition to help Kiev after Russia invaded in 2022 and coordinating help from dozens of nations.
Washington is by far Kiev’s largest donor of safety help and has offered tens of billions of {dollars} to assist Kiev because the invasion.
