[The Epoch Times, March 12, 2022](The Epoch Times reporter Wang Xiang compiled a report) Reuters reported on Friday (March 11) that the United States and NATO are sending weapons to Ukraine at the fastest speed, including highly sensitive weapons. Portable air defense systems, such as shoulder-fired missiles that can shoot down aircraft.
Western arms shipments are critical to helping Ukrainians fight Russian troops. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, causing Europe’s biggest military conflict since World War II.
But there is a risk that these weapons and equipment will fall into Russian hands in the process of being transferred to Ukraine.
Asked about the danger on Friday, a senior U.S. defense official responded: “Frankly, we think the risk is bearable right now, because Ukrainians are skilled in fighting with the weapons at their disposal, and They are using weapons creatively.”
Man-portable missiles are a type of man-portable air defense system (MANPA). But MANPADS have also been lost, sold or fallen into the hands of extremist groups in the past.
For example, in the conflicts of the 1980s and 1990s, the hundreds of shoulder-fired Stinger missiles supplied by the United States were credited with helping mujahideen rebels drive Soviet troops out of Afghanistan.
The United States later spent years trying to recover unused MANPADS from the country and other conflict areas around the world.
The RAND Corporation estimates that as many as 60 civilian aircraft have been hit by man-portable missiles since the 1970s, killing more than 1,000 civilians. As of 2019, 57 non-state armed groups were confirmed or suspected of possessing MANPADS.
The RAND Corporation also said that Russia is the largest exporter of man-portable missiles, selling more than 10,000 units between 2010 and 2018 to countries including Iraq, Venezuela, Kazakhstan, Qatar and Libya.
The United States and NATO have not disclosed how many man-portable anti-aircraft missiles have been transferred to Ukraine since the invasion began, now in its third week.
Russia has so far not targeted Western agencies that ship weapons, and senior U.S. defense officials say the U.S. has not seen any Western-supplied weapons fall into Russian hands.
But that may change. At a meeting of the Russian Security Council on Friday, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu talked about the possible future capture of Western-made Javelin anti-tank missiles and shoulder-fired Stinger missiles.
The weapons should be handed over to pro-Russian forces in the breakaway Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly supported the idea.
“As for the delivery of weapons, especially Western-made weapons that have fallen into the hands of the Russian army – I certainly support the possibility of handing them over to the military units of the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics,” Putin said. Bar.”
Responsible editor: Ye Ziwei