23 April 2024,   20:06
more
Belgium is concerned over reports claiming arms it sent to Kyiv were used in raids on Russian territory

Brussels is concerned over media reports claiming that weapons it sent to Kyiv were used by militants to launch incursions into Russia, several Belgian media outlets reported, adding that the government will demand an official explanation from Ukraine on the issue.

Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder and Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib will “contact the Ukrainian authorities and ask for clarifications”, the defense minister’s office said.

The documents accompanying each weapons delivery from Belgium “explicitly state” that the military equipment can only be distributed to the regular armed forces and used only to “defend” Ukrainian territory, the media added.

“These weapons are therefore not authorized for isolated groups that have an internal Russian agenda”, a Belgian official told another local media outlet, Le Soir. The Belgian media also described the “Freedom of Russia Legion” and the “Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK)” – two Kyiv-backed militant groups that are said to be in possession of Western arms – as groups that have “neo-Nazi” members within their ranks.

MORE HEADLINES