Moscow’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov said NATO is “essentially entering into a proxy war” by supplying weapons to Kiev. 

Lavrov claims Western arms transfers to Ukraine amount to a proxy war and the shipments are legitimate targets. “NATO, by supplying weapons to Ukraine, is essentially entering into a proxy war with Russia.” He added, “Of course, these weapons will be a legitimate target for Russian Armed Forces involved in the special operation.”

On Monday, Russia targeted several Ukrainian railroad sites used to transport weapons and a building used to store weapons near Odesa. Ukrainian officials claim the Russian attacks killed civilians. 

Since Russia invaded, the US and its allies have flooded Ukraine with weapons. In the past two months, the US government has authorized $3.7 billion in arms transfers to Kiev. Germany, Britain and Poland promised armored vehicles and tanks for the war effort in the past week. 

A British defense minister said it is “completely legitimate” for Ukraine to carry out attacks inside Russia with British weapons. In response, the Russian Defense Ministry said that it could “launch retaliatory strikes” and that it would not be a problem if Western officials were present.

After his recent visit to Kiev, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said American goals go beyond defending Ukraine’s sovereignty and include an effort to weaken Moscow.