The Pentagon is tapping into its stockpile of ammunition in Israel to help meet Ukraine's dire need for artillery shells, the New York Times reported Tuesday quoting American and Israeli officials.
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According to the report, Jerusalem initially expressed concern the move would damage its relations with Moscow – by appearing complicit in arming Ukraine if the Pentagon drew its munitions from the supplies – lest Russia limit its freedom of action in Syria, where it has a military presence. It is also the reason Israel has refrained from providing Ukraine with weapons and air defense systems and has mainly focused on humanitarian aid instead.
The Pentagon stockpile – vast yet little known – provides arms and ammunition for the Pentagon to use in Middle East conflicts, and in the past, ISrael was allowed access to it in emergencies. American and Israeli officials said that about half of the 300,000 rounds destined for Ukraine have already been shipped to Europe and will eventually be delivered through Poland.
The war-stricken country is running low on munitions for its Soviet-era weaponry and has largely shifted to firing artillery and rounds donated by the United States and other Western allies.
On Sunday, after a Russian airstrike targeted an apartment building in Dnipro, killing and injuring dozens, Britain pledged to provide Challenger 2 tanks and other artillery systems to Ukraine.
