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Ukraine receives a steady stream of Soviet-made weapons to fight Russia.
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According to the Wall Street Journal, NATO countries have sent 17,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.
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The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland have restocked Ukraine with Soviet-era weapons.
Much of the weapons sent to Ukraine for its efforts to fight the Russian armed forces are Soviet-made weapons, according to The Wall Street Journal.
So far, several weeks into Russia’s war against Ukraine, allies in NATO have sent 17,000 anti-tank weapons to Ukraine.
Most of the weapons come from Central European NATO countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union. The Czech Republic sent most of the equipment, according to the report.
Some of the weapons made by the Soviet Union include 12 Dragunov rifles and Strela-2 shoulder missiles sent by the Czech Republic, as well as the 73mm BWP1 and SPG-9 ammunition shipped by Poland, according to Reuters.
Slovakia has also sent 12,000 cartridges of Soviet-made anti-tank ammunition.
On Tuesday, Poland announced that it would deliver all of its MiG-29s fighter jets, which are Soviet aircraft, to a US air base in Germany, allowing the US to then transfer the fleet to Ukraine. Following Poland’s announcement, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said the plan “raises serious concerns for the entire NATO alliance”.
“It’s just not clear to us if there’s a substantive reason for it,” Kirby says. tweeted† “We will continue to consult with Poland and our other NATO allies on this issue and the difficult logistical challenges it poses, but we do not believe Poland’s proposal is tenable.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on NATO to declare a no-fly zone over the country, while Russia has continued its air campaign across the country. NATO has resisted the call, expressing concerns that a no-fly zone could escalate war across the continent.
According to the Ukrainian government, Russian troops have been waging an intense war against Ukraine since late February, carrying out heavy shelling and rocket attacks on residential buildings, an orphanage, kindergartens and a children’s hospital.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, and Kiev, the country’s capital, have both been subject to heavy shelling and airstrikes, and Kherson, Ukraine’s third-largest city, was taken by Russia last week.
Russia’s campaign so far has united Western countries in unprecedented ways, which have also issued extensive sanctions against Putin and his allies, while global corporations and news outlets have shut down operations in Russia.
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