Fearing Russian false flag in Ukraine, US launches plan to track arms

In Washington In response to concerns that Russian forces could seize these weapons and use them to stage an attack by Ukrainian forces, the U.S. State Department unveiled plans on Thursday to better track the weaponry delivered to Ukraine. The biggest source of diversion thus far and a potential source of further transfers, according to the strategy, has been the capture of weapons by pro-Russian troops from Ukrainian forces, including donated equipment. "It's likely that Russia will also employ these weapons to create propaganda, countermeasures, or false-flag operations."

The warning comes in the wake of baseless Russian allegations that Ukraine intends to use a "dirty bomb" on its own soil, which U.S. officials believe might be used as justification for Moscow to escalate the conflict. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, has also charged that Russia intends to blow up a sizable dam close to Kherson and blame Ukrainians for it.

The United States has sent more than $17 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia started its conflict there eight months ago, including everything from armoured vehicles, howitzers, and shoulder-fired rockets to cutting-edge air defence systems. Recent weeks have seen an increase in calls for stricter control from American politicians and officials in Europe, which is also contributing millions of dollars' worth of weapons.

Two categories of weapons in particular worry the State Department: man-portable air defence systems, which include the thousands of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles sent by the United States, and anti-tank/all-purpose tactical guided missiles, which include the thousands of Javelins sent by the United States.

According to the proposal, the State Department stated it is collaborating with Kyiv to clear explosive combat debris, an action that would allow "on-the-ground accounting for and securing of weapons."

Ned Price, a spokesman for the State Department, said in a statement that "as in any conflict, we remain vigilant to the possibility that criminal and non-state actors may attempt to illicitly acquire weapons from sources in Ukraine, including members of the Russian military, during or after the conflict."