Russian Military Destroys Western Arms in Ukraine

On Monday, Russia's Defense Ministry said that its missiles destroyed a large number of weapons and military equipment in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, including arms sent by the US and the West.

The ministry added that high-precision air-launched missiles fell near the Udachny railway station, striking equipment delivered to Ukrainian forces.

The West has stepped up weapons supplies to Ukraine since Russia's invasion on February 24 and Moscow has repeatedly destroyed them.

President Vladimir Putin said earlier this month that Moscow would hit new targets if the West provided Ukraine with long-range missiles for use in high-precision mobile rocket systems.

Ukraine has renewed its appeals to Western countries in recent days to speed up the delivery of heavy weapons as Russian forces bombard the country's east with artillery.

Since the beginning of the Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, Western countries, led by the US, have sent billions of dollars in weapons and ammunition to support the Ukrainian forces against the Russian army, in a move that Moscow considered aimed at inflaming and prolonging the conflict.

The Russian president confirmed that Moscow does not plan to occupy Ukrainian territory and that the goal of the operation is to protect people who, for eight years, have been subjected to persecution and genocide by the Kyiv regime.