Belgium investigates whether weapons sent to Ukraine were used by paramilitaries in Belgorod raid

BRUSSELS, June 5 (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Belgian authorities are investigating whether weapons supplied by the country to Ukraine as part of military aid against the Russian invasion have been used by paramilitary groups that carried out an incursion into the Russian region of Belgorod.

After the US newspaper 'Washington Post' published that paramilitary groups used material supplied by Kiev's international allies, including Belgian-made automatic rifles, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo confirmed to RTBF that the services Intelligence and the military are analyzing this information, without conclusive results.

The same channel has been able to learn that Belgium has contacted the Ukrainian authorities to request clarification on the possible use of weapons for attacks on Russian soil, given the implications of using these Western military resources to attack Russia and that up to now shipments of weapons have been carried out under the premise of serving to defend the Ukrainian territory and population against the aggression perpetrated by the Russian Army.

Likewise, this raises doubts among Ukraine's allies that the material sent could end up in the hands of paramilitary groups far from the control of the Ukrainian Army, the only legal recipient of the weapons.

The Belgorod region has been the target of various attacks by Ukrainian forces since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022, including two ground assaults in recent days that Moscow blames on Ukraine and for which militia groups have claimed responsibility. opponents of the Kremlin.