KYIV -- The United States has confirmed to RFE/RL its delivery of American-made, Javelin antitank missile systems to Ukraine in a move that is welcome in Kyiv but will almost certainly enrage Moscow amid a four-year conflict that pits Russia-backed separatists against Ukrainian national troops.

"They have already been delivered," a U.S. State Department official confirmed on April 30 in response to an RFE/RL query on the handover of Javelins.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko also confirmed the delivery and said his country continues "to strengthen our defense potential in order to repel Russian aggression."

"I am sincerely grateful for the fair decision of [U.S. President] Donald Trump in support of Ukraine, in defense of freedom and democracy," Poroshenko wrote. "Washington not only fulfilled our joint agreement, it demonstrated leadership and an important example."

Ukrainian Defense Minister Stepan Poltorak wrote on his Facebook page that Ukrainian troops would begin training with the new weapons on May 2.

A shipment of lethal aid would appear to deepen U.S. involvement in the simmering conflict and mark at least a symbolic victory for Ukraine in its effort to maintain Western backing in the ongoing conflict.

After months of heated debate in Washington and, reportedly, much reluctance on the part of U.S. President Donald Trump, the White House was said to have approved the Javelin sale in December.

That announcement sparked a sharp rebuke from Moscow, with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov accusing the United States of "fomenting a war."

Two sources who wished to remain anonymous as they were not authorized to speak publicly about it -- one in Ukraine and the other in the United States -- confirmed the Javelin deliveries to RFE/RL ahead of the State Department announcement.

Neither disclosed when the missile systems arrived in Ukraine, whether all the promised missiles and launchers had been sent or where they were being stored; or whether Ukraine’s military had begun training on Javelins. But one of the sources added that the Javelins were delivered “on time.”

The State Department provided no details beyond the confirmation of the delivery.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has lobbied hard to Western officials for more weapons, in addition to limited supplies of nonlethal aid from Washington and European allies so far and U.S. approval of commercial weapons sales.

A $47 million U.S. military-aid package approved last year and confirmed in March specified 210 Javelin antitank missiles and 37 Javelin launchers, two of them spares, for Kyiv.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in December that U.S. military assistance to Ukraine was intended to bolster that country’s ability to "defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression."

Kyiv and Western governments say Moscow has armed and coordinated Ukrainian separatists as well as provided Russian fighters to help wrest control of swaths of territory that border Russia since Moscow seized Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014.

The Javelins' delivery is likely to spur a response from Moscow, which rejects accusations of involvement despite mounting evidence that includes weapons movements and cross-border artillery barrages, captured Russian troops, and intercepted communications.

Responding to the approved delivery of the missiles to Kyiv in December, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said arming Ukraine would further inflame tensions between Moscow and Washington and push Ukraine "toward reckless new military decisions."

Since 2015, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with $750 million in nonlethal aid, including Humvees, night-vision equipment, and short-range radar systems.

There has been a recent uptick in fighting between Ukrainian soldiers and Russian-backed separatist forces, according to reports from the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM).

A 3-year-old cease-fire deal known as Minsk II has helped to reduce the intensity of the fighting, but it has not ended the war.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in March that while the Javelin sale would "contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of Ukraine" and "help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity," it "will not alter the basic military balance in the region."</s>Soldiers fire the Javelin, an anti-tank weapon, during a training exercise. Spc. Patrick Kirby

The US has delivered the Javelin anti-tank missile system to Ukraine, a State Department official confirmed to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on Monday.

"They have already been delivered," the official told RFE/RL.

The Trump administration announced in December that it had approved a $47 million deal for 210 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 37 Javelin launchers. But the State Department official didn't disclose to RFE/RL when and how many launchers and missiles arrived, or if Ukrainian troops have begun training on them.

The deal was intended to deter Russia, which has opposed the sale since its inception, despite denying any real involvement in the conflict. Former President Barack Obama, as well as France and Germany, opposed arming Ukraine out of concern that it may inflame the conflict.

Trump's national security advisers eventually convinced him to sign off on the deal, but the president also told them to not publicly talk about the deal, fearing that it might agitate Russian President Vladimir Putin, NBC News previously reported.

"[Trump] doesn't want us to bring it up," a White House official told NBC News in March. "It is not something he wants to talk about."

Here's what the Javelin can do:</s>"We have delivered them," the official said.

The United States has been assigning millions of dollars to support Ukraine, particularly in the defense area, over the past years. US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch has said that the United States had provided over $850 million in security assistance to Kiev since 2014. The 2018 US defense budget, signed into law by President Donald Trump in December, allocates $350 million for security assistance to Kiev.

Moreover, in early March, the US Department of State signed off on a $47-million sale of shoulder-fired Javelin anti-tank missiles requested by Ukraine.

READ MORE: US Javelin Sale Will Reduce Kiev's Incentive to Modernize Army – Analysts

In April 2014, Kiev launched a military operation against the self-proclaimed republics in the Donbas region which refused to recognize the new Ukrainian government that came to power in what they perceived to be a coup. The conflicting sides signed the Minsk peace accords in February 2015 to end the fighting in the crisis-torn region, but the situation has remained tense, with both parties accusing each other of ceasefire violations.</s>U.S. Confirms Delivery Of Javelin Antitank Missiles To Ukraine</s>The Ukrainian army has received the first tranche of a large shipment of advanced U.S. anti-tank missile systems under a weapons pact inked between Washington and Kiev in March.

The first deliveries of the the FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile, the shoulder-fired weapon is armed with a so-called “fire and forget” guided missile system designed for U.S. Army infantry units are now in the hands of Ukrainian forces battling pro-Russian separatists in the former Soviet satellite state.

“The long-awaited weapons have arrived in the Ukrainian army and significantly strengthened the powerful deterrent effect of our combat capability and Euro-Atlantic security,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko wrote in a social media post Tuesday. “We continue to work to strengthen our defense potential to rebuff Russian aggression.”

Officials from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the Pentagon directorate overseeing international arms deals with the U.S., notified Congress in March of the pending arms deal.

Under the terms of the pact, Kiev is slated to receive 210 Javelin missiles and 37 command launch units under the terms of the proposed arms sale, an agency statement said at the time.

The U.S. has also agreed to provide logistics and system support for the weapon systems, coupled with a small team of “basic skill trainers” to advise Ukrainian forces how to use the weapon in combat, according to details of the $47 million deal.

“The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance” in Ukraine or in eastern Europe writ large, agency officials wrote.

Ukraine has repeatedly requested American and allied support against Russian-backed forces since they drove into the eastern half of the country in 2014. Until the Javelin sale, Washington had only agreed to provide Ukraine with training and equipment, including supplies of small arms such as assault rifles.

The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.</s>Writing on his Twitter page on Saturday, former Pentagon official Michael Carpenter pointed out that "no one should fool themselves into thinking that Javelin missiles are a game-changer [for Ukraine]."

"Javelins are useful weapons that will have a limited deterrent effect, but they won't fundamentally change the warfighting capabilities of the Ukrainian military," Carpenter, who currently serves as the senior director of the Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement at the University of Pennsylvania, underlined.

READ MORE: Germany Skeptical About US Plans to Provide Ukraine With Lethal Arms

He recalled in a separate tweet that Kiev is paying for the Javelin missiles, which is why "it would be far better in the long run if Ukraine reformed its defense industry (i.e., made it more transparent and less susceptible to corruption) so it could produce anti-tank weapons itself."

According to Carpenter, the Ukrainian military's command structure should be reformed in line with NATO standards, with "urgent attention" due to be paid to "the training and readiness of Ukraine's troops.

In an interview with Sputnik earlier on Saturday, a State Department spokesperson said that "we have delivered them," referring to the US supply of Javelin systems to Ukraine.

READ MORE: Analyst: US Anti-Tank Weapons in Ukraine Could Cause 'Serious Escalation'

In early March, the US Department of State signed off on a $47 million sale of shoulder-fired Javelin anti-tank missiles requested by Ukraine.

In November 2017, the US Senate and House Armed Services Committees agreed on a new draft defense budget, which stipulates allocating $350 million for "security assistance to Ukraine, including defensive lethal assistance," which could consist of anti-tank weapons and possibly anti-aircraft arms.

In April 2014, Kiev staged a military operation against the self-proclaimed republics in Donbass, which refused to recognize the new Ukrainian government that came to power in what they believed to be a coup.

In February 2015, the conflicting sides signed the Minsk Protocol to end the fighting, but the situation remains tense with both parties accusing each other of ceasefire violations.</s>The Ukrainian military plans to start training with powerful US anti-tank missiles on Wednesday following the long-awaited delivery of weapons that Russia warns will only increase bloodshed in eastern Ukraine.

“I am sincerely grateful for the fair decision of [US president] Donald J Trump in support of Ukraine in defence of freedom and democracy. Washington not only fulfilled our joint agreement – it has demonstrated leadership and an important example,” Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko wrote on Facebook to confirm arrival of the Javelin rockets.

Ukrainian defence minister Stepan Poltorak said the delivery “allows us to move from theoretical to practical work on our assessments of the Javelin, which will start on May 2nd at training bases...and will create a powerful anti-tank reserve”.

The US has strongly supported Ukraine since it ousted pro-Moscow leaders in a 2014 revolution, and sought closer political, economic and military ties with the West.

Russia responded by annexing Crimea and fermenting a separatist conflict in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, where more than 10,300 people have died in fighting between government forces and militants armed and guided by Moscow.

Last month, the US confirmed a $47 million (€39m) package of military aid for Ukraine that includes 37 Javelin shoulder-held launchers and 210 missiles.

Ukraine and the US insist they will be used only to repel attacks, but when in December the White House approved Kiev’s long-standing request for deadly “defensive” arms, Russia warned Washington that it was opening a “Pandora’s box”.

Russian deputy foreign minister Grigory Karasin said the US was “essentially getting involved in an internal Ukrainian conflict, again reigniting it and internationalising it”.

“By doing this Washington ‘hawks’ are trying, as they see it, to increase the cost to Russia of the war in Donbas. It is completely mistaken and dangerous logic. It will lead to war, not peace.”

Ruslan Balbek, a Russian deputy from occupied Crimea, on Tuesday called the delivery of the Javelins – which are far more powerful than anti-tank weapons previously used by Kiev’s forces – “a stimulant for Ukrainian aggression”.

“Modern American weapons...could force Ukraine into absolutely unpredictable aggressive actions against both the ‘republics’ of Donbas and the [Crimean] peninsula.”

In dismissing claims that the arms could “provoke” Moscow, the US special envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, has said that “Russia is already in Ukraine, they are already heavily armed, there are more Russian tanks there than in western Europe combined”.

The arrival of the weapons coincides with a change in how Kiev conducts operations in Donbas, four years after the start of the conflict.

Monday marked the end of the so-called anti-terrorist operation, which was run by Ukraine’s security services, and the start of a “joint services operation” under military command.

Officials insist the reform will improve the efficiency and responsiveness of Ukraine’s forces, but critics say it gives Mr Poroshenko and his military chiefs sweeping powers a year before presidential and parliamentary elections.

Russia says Mr Poroshenko will now enjoy “near-dictatorial powers”, and it has called the changes “preparation for a new war”.</s>Ukraine has received the first U.S. Javelin missiles and launch units, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday.

In March the U.S. State Department approved the possible sale of Javelin systems to Ukraine at an estimated cost of $47 million.

"I can confirm that the long-awaited weapon arrived in the Ukrainian army" Poroshenko said on Facebook.

Kiev and Washington believe that the Javelin system will help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity.

The United States has been one of Kiev's staunchest supporters since Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent outbreak of fighting in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region that has killed more than 10,000 people.

But the decision to provide lethal aid was sensitive and Russia has repeatedly said supplying weapons to Ukraine would further destabilize the situation by encouraging Kyiv to use force.</s>U.S. soldier from Dragon Troop of the 3rd Cavalry Regiment fires a Javelin missile system during their first training exercise of the new year near operating base Gamberi in the Laghman province of Afghanistan Thomson Reuters KIEV (Reuters) - Ukraine has received the first U.S. Javelin missiles and launch units, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said on Monday.

In March the U.S. State Department approved the possible sale of Javelin systems to Ukraine at an estimated cost of $47 million.

"I can confirm that the long-awaited weapon arrived in the Ukrainian army" Poroshenko said on Facebook.

Kiev and Washington believe that the Javelin system will help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity.

The United States has been one of Kiev's staunchest supporters since Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent outbreak of fighting in Ukraine's eastern Donbass region that has killed more than 10,000 people.

But the decision to provide lethal aid was sensitive and Russia has repeatedly said supplying weapons to Ukraine would further destabilize the situation by encouraging Kiev to use force.
The U.S. State Department confirms the U.S. has completed a delivery of FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile systems to Ukraine.