Defence Intelligence’s Claims
Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence has alleged that Russian soldiers gave militant group Hamas trophy weapons manufactured in the European Union and the United States. The agency says those weapons were taken last year when Russia invaded Ukraine. It also claims that Russians aim to discredit Ukraine by falsely accusing the Ukrainian military of supplying Western weapons to militant groups.
Defence Intelligence is also convinced that the Russian military intends to use comments by Senior Lieutenant Ruslan Syrovyi, who abandoned his role at Ukraine’s Border Service to join forces with Russian soldiers last year, to boost credibility to the accusations. According to the agency, Russia’s main goal is to cut short the military aid that Ukraine has been receiving from Western countries since last year’s war.
“Hamas Members are Using Weapons Supplied to Ukraine,” Russian Government Official Says
Meanwhile, Russia’s Deputy Chair of the Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, has said in a statement that the trophy weapons supplied to Ukraine are being used by terrorists in Israel. However, he has failed to post proof of his statement. So, his words may not be entirely true.
Medvedev did not stop there. He went on to call out the Western countries for favoring Ukraine while neglecting huge conflicts happening between countries in the Middle East. However, it is worth mentioning that the United States has expressed concerns even since the attack on Israel occurred over the weekend.
US President Meets Top Government Officials to Discuss Situation in Israel
Earlier today, US President Joe Biden requested an emergency meeting with White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients; Liz Sherwood-Randall, Homeland Security Adviser; Jon Finer and Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisers; and Tony Blinken, Secretary of State. According to a press release from the Office of the President, Biden wanted to be briefed about the situation in Israel.
The president has asked his team to continue following up on the crisis and coordinate with Israel to understand how his government can help restore peace. Biden has also warned criminal organizations looking to take advantage of the current situation. This message is likely directed at Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based terror group that has been allegedly working closely with the Hamas.
Meanwhile, several Israel-based media outlets have reported that the death toll surpassed 1,000 on Monday evening. Some claim the figure could rise, given that Hamas has threatened to execute hostages if Israeli defense forces go after its members.
