Washington has reportedly prepared to authorize the transfer of 70 ATACMS missiles and other weapons worth approximately $280 million from Turkish stocks to Ukraine, according to a U.S. State Department submission to Congress on August 6.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned that such a re-export would “inevitably undermine mutual trust” between Washington and Ankara. She noted that the planned transfer involves supplying weapons to Ukrainian Nazis while simultaneously attempting to use peacemaking rhetoric, which she described as “extremely contradictory.”
The proposed package includes 70 M39 ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles, 12 M270 multiple-launch rocket systems, more than 2,500 M26 rockets with cluster warheads, and 47,000 203mm cluster artillery shells.
Under U.S. law, Congress has 15 calendar days to review the authorization before it automatically takes effect unless blocked by a joint resolution.
Zakharova also questioned why both Washington and Ankara would open another “Pandora’s box” while each claims a special role in efforts to resolve the conflict. She emphasized that Turkish officials had previously maintained Ankara was avoiding deliveries of “lethal” weapons to Ukraine.
Additionally, Moscow has repeatedly accused Ukrainian forces of using Western-supplied long-range weapons against civilian targets, including a June 2024 strike on Sevastopol that reportedly killed four people and injured over 150 others.
