U.S. Sending Soviet Air Defense Systems It Secretly Acquired to Ukraine

The United States is sending secretly acquired Soviet air defense equipment to Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday.

The report said, citing US officials, that the Soviet air defense equipment includes SA-8, which the United States acquired so it could examine Soviet technology at the time.

The US Department of Defense declined to comment on the matter, the report said.

The S-300 is not one of the air defense systems being sent to Ukraine, the report noted.

On February 24, Russia began a military operation in Ukraine in response to requests for help from the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics in countering intensifying attacks by Ukrainian troops. The Russian Defense Ministry said the special operation is targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only. Several days into the operation, the Defense Ministry accused the Ukrainian forces of using typical terrorist methods, such as hiding behind civilians and positioning weapons systems in civilian areas.