US Department of State: Russia intends to deliver heavier weapons to militants

The United States accuses Russia of helping separatists in Ukraine.

Representative of the US Department of State Marie Harf said Russia planned to deliver more powerful rocket launchers to separatists. The US said Russia was firing artillery across the border into Ukraine to target Ukrainian military positions, Reuters reports.

“We have new evidence that the Russians intend to deliver heavier and more powerful multiple rocket launchers to the separatist forces in Ukraine,” Harf said. According to her, the US have evidence that Russia was firing artillery to attack Ukrainian military positions. Russia's Defence Ministry earlier said it was “nonsense,” NEWSru.com reports.

“We [...] have evidence that Russia is firing artillery from within Russia to attack Ukrainian military positions,” Marie Harf stressed.

NATO agrees with the US that weapons to separatists are possibly delivered from Russia. A source from NATO said on conditions of anonymity that Russia continued weapons supplies to eastern Ukraine in spite of the MH17 tragedy. According to NATO, the amount of weapons being transferred from Russia to Ukraine increased in the last several weeks.

The US Department of State already accused Russia of supplying weapons to separatists last week, two days before the Malaysian plane crash. The United States said Russia continued to provide separatists with heavy weapons, military equipment and financing, and continued to allow militants to enter Ukraine freely.