US has moved munitions stored in Israel for use by Ukraine - CNN

CNN  — 

The United States has transferred American munitions stored successful Israel for usage successful Ukraine and plans to nonstop much soon, US and Israeli officials told CNN Wednesday.

A US authoritative told CNN they person moved “some” of the 300,000 155-millimeter shells that the US and Israel agreed would beryllium transferred, and that determination are plans to determination the remaining magnitude successful the coming weeks.

Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Richard Hecht told CNN that the Americans notified the Israelis a portion agone they were transferring munitions. Hecht said the munitions are US-owned, that their movements are “American business” and that they don’t request Israeli support to determination the munitions.

The New York Times archetypal reported the American subject is tapping into its munitions stockpile stored successful Israel for usage successful Ukraine, noting Israeli officials had initially expressed “concerns astir appearing complicit successful arming Ukraine.”

Israel has been walking a good diplomatic enactment during Russia’s penetration of Ukraine. While Israeli leaders person condemned the invasion, supported Ukraine successful the United Nations, sent humanitarian assistance and taken successful refugees, Israel has drawn a hard enactment astatine sending subject aid, citing its ain information sensitivities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier helium took bureau astatine the extremity of December that helium would reappraisal Israel’s argumentation connected Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine.

The strain connected weapons stockpiles – and the quality of the US concern basal to support up with request – is 1 of the cardinal challenges facing the Biden medication arsenic the US continues to nonstop billions of dollars of weapons to Ukraine to enactment its combat against Russia. CNN antecedently reported a US authoritative said the stockpiles of definite systems are “dwindling” aft months of sending supplies to Kyiv during the high-intensity war, arsenic there’s “finite amount” of excess stocks which the US has disposable to send.

CNN reported successful November that the US intended to bargain 100,000 rounds of artillery ammunition from South Korean arms manufacturers to supply to Ukraine arsenic portion of a broader effort to find disposable weaponry for the high-intensity battles unfolding successful Ukraine.