Putin warns against supply of long-range rocket systems to Ukraine

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday warned that Moscow would order strikes on new targets, if the US supplies long-range rocket systems to Ukraine.

"If it now comes to rockets and they are supplied, we will draw conclusions from that and employ our weapons that we have in sufficient quantities to strike those facilities that we are not attacking so far," Putin said in an interview with Rossiya-1 TV Channel.

He said that the supply of US multiple launch rocket systems to Ukraine has essentially changed nothing, as Ukraine already had similar armaments, according to TASS news agency.

Referring to Ukraine's alleged assurances to Western countries that these rocket systems would not be used against the Russian territory, Putin said: "This has nothing to do with trust or distrust for the Ukrainian regime because this depends on the types of rockets that the Americans will supply."

He also claimed that Russia has destroyed 380 out of Ukraine’s 515 rocket systems since the beginning of the war on Feb. 24.

"We believe that the delivery of rocket systems by the US and some other countries is related to making up for the losses of this combat hardware," the Russian president said.

Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden announced $700 million in additional security assistance to Ukraine as the war drags on in the eastern part of that country.

"This new package will arm them with new capabilities and advanced weaponry, including HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) with battlefield munitions, to defend their territory from Russian advances," Biden said.