President Donald Trump approves of sending Javelin anti-tank missile systems to the frontlines of Ukraine’s war against Russian-backed separatists.
The missile system is one of the most advanced on the market, and has been repeatedly requested by the Ukrainian government.
Russia has reacted very negatively to the news, and the move may provoke bigger clashes in a conflict thought to be semi-frozen.
In a move that has angered Russia and fueled massive uncertainty over the future of the war in Ukraine, President Donald Trump has approved the sale of lethal munitions to the Ukrainian government in its fight against Russian-backed separatists in the country’s Donbas region.
ABC News reports that according to four sources in the State Department, Trump is expected to approve the deal soon. The US military’s European Command “is moving ahead with the plan for the weapons to be delivered,” according to ABC News.
The controversial $47 million sale includes 35 FGM-148 Javelin launchers and 210 anti-tank missiles.
The Javelin, a fire-and-forget anti-tank missile, is one of the most advanced anti-tank systems on the market due to its top-attack flight profile, and has been repeatedly requested by the Ukrainians as a way to counter Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers.
The self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk Peoples Republics have a large inventory of tanks and other armored vehicles reportedly supplied by Russia. Ukraine alleges that the Russian Military also operates such vehicles in Ukrainian territory.