NATO member raises concerns about an attack in Russia with Kiev

According to local media, Belgium is concerned about claims that weapons it sent to Kiev were used in attacks on Russian territory.

Several Belgian media outlets reported on Sunday that the Belgian government will demand an official explanation from Ukraine regarding allegations that weapons it sent to Kiev were used by militants to launch incursions into Russia. The Belgian government is reportedly alarmed by media reports alleging that weapons it sent to Kiev were used by militants to launch incursions into Russia.

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

The documents accompanying each munitions shipment from Belgium “explicitly state” that the military equipment can only be distributed to legitimate Ukrainian armed forces and used to “defend” Ukrainian territory, according to the media.

A Belgian official stated to another local media outlet, Le Soir, “These weapons are therefore not authorized for isolated groups with an internal Russian agenda.” The Belgian media also reported that the ‘Freedom of Russia Legion’ and the ‘Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK)’ – two Kiev-backed militant groups rumored to possess Western armaments – contain “neo-Nazi” members.

In March and May of 2023, the RDK and the ‘Freedom of Russia Legion’ were responsible for multiple incursions into Russian territory. Photos and videos published by the militants from their raid last month, as well as images released by the Russian Defense Ministry following the clashes with the militants, indicated that their sabotage groups utilized American and Polish armored vehicles, as well as Belgian and Czech assault rifles.

The Pentagon and the US State Department questioned the authenticity of the photographs. The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing US intelligence sources, that the militants did use weapons and heavy equipment supplied to Kiev by their Western sponsors.

The May assault resulted in the deaths of “over 70 Ukrainian terrorists” and the destruction of “four armored combat vehicles and five pickup trucks,” according to the Russian Defense Ministry at the time. According to Russian authorities, the incursion caused one civilian fatality and twelve injuries.

Sunday, the two militant organizations attempted to launch another cross-border assault into the Belgorod Region of Russia, according to the region’s governor. The militants were “dispersed” and driven back into Ukrainian territory, the defense ministry reported later that day.