WASHINGTON — The White House said it is investigating reports of alleged use of U.S.-supplied equipment during an operation in Russia’s Belgorod region on Monday that appears to have been carried out by volunteers anti-Putin Russians, although the United States has not been able to verify them. complaints.
“We do not support the use of American-made equipment for attacks on Russian territory. And we have clearly spoken to the Ukrainian side about this. We have been consistent in our concerns about this,” the doorman said on Wednesday. – National Security Council spokesman John Kirby.
Russia called the attack in the Belgorod region an invasion by saboteurs sent from Kyiv. Authorities and state media use different epithets to refer to the participants in the operation – from “militants” to “terrorists”.
Ukraine denies any involvement in the incident in the Belgorod region, saying it was the actions of disgruntled Russians.
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder confirmed that the US government does not approve the transfer of equipment to paramilitaries outside the UAF, and that the Ukrainian government has not requested such transfers.
“The United States has regularly informed Ukraine that the security assistance we provide to them is intended for use inside Ukraine, as part of their efforts to protect their country and their sovereignty” , said Ryder.
He noted that the Pentagon could not confirm the accuracy of photographs of equipment in Russia, which were allegedly provided by the United States.
“I don’t know if they’re genuine or not,” Ryder said.
He noted that “fabricated photographs” of explosions at the Pentagon have recently appeared, which never happened.
“We have to study them and make sure we have the facts before making assumptions,” he added.
Analysts say the operation in the Belgorod region means Russia cannot effectively defend its borders.
Russia did not expect the fighting to spill over into its territory, said George Barros, a Russian expert at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War.
“If these Russian volunteers really penetrated as deep as they claim, it shows that Russian field fortifications are of no value if they are understaffed,” Barros said.
He added that the incident revealed the vulnerability of Russian defense lines.
Ilya Ponomarev, a political spokesperson for Russia’s Freedom Legion involved in the operation, told American media that the goal of Operation Belgorod was “to create a piece of free Russia and keep for as long as possible.
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