Western Arms Being Systematically Destroyed By Russias Armed Forces In Ukraine - Antonov

Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov, following Washington's announcement of deliveries of Patriot missile defense systems to Kiev, said on Wednesday that the Russian military is systematically destroying Western arms in Ukraine.

"Here (in Washington), they cannot help but realize that Western weapons are being systematically destroyed by our military," Antonov said in a statement distributed by the Russian embassy.

The ambassador said that the missile systems would be sent to Ukraine despite warnings from Moscow and expressed concerns about whether Western specialists would maintain systems that Ukrainians lack the skills to operate.

"I think that everyone is well aware of what fate might await personnel who would operate these systems in Ukraine," Antonov said.

"I would like to emphasize that we, at all levels, have repeatedly tried and are trying to appeal to common sense. We have stressed that the provocative actions on the part of the US are steadily leading to an escalation, the consequences of which are even impossible to imagine. For example, speculations about a hypothetical delivery of ATACMS missiles and long-range attack drones to Ukrainians are a matter of great concern," the ambassador said.

Antonov said that Washington "bears full responsibility for unleashing the Ukraine conflict in 2014," adding that "all these years, Washington has been stubbornly ignoring, or pretending not to notice, inhumane crimes of the Kiev regime against the Russian population of Ukraine."