Nato transport carrying weapons in Ukraine is a ‘target’, warns Russia

Western allies continue to pledge more military aid to Ukraine

Russia has said it could target Nato transport carrying weapons in Ukraine in its latest threat against Kyiv’s allies.

Sergei Shoigu, the Russian defence minister, gave the warning on Wednesday, according to the state-run RIA news agency.

His comments come a week after the Kremlin’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov accused the west of risking World War III over its support for Ukraine.

Although Nato has made it clear it will not send soldiers to Ukraine, the alliance continues to send heavy weaponry to help it fight off the Russian invasion.

Last week, Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, confirmed that the security organisation had pledged and provided at least $8 billion (£6.4bn) in military aid to Kyiv.

This was followed by US president Joe Biden’s proposal that Ukraine receive another $20bn (£16bn) in military support from Washington.

The desire to supply more weapons to Ukraine was also echoed by British foreign secretary Liz Truss. “For too long, there was a false distinction between defensive and offensive weapons. It became an excuse for some to drag their feet. That time has now passed,” she said on 26 April.

Elsewhere, the German parliament has approved a shipment of anti-aircraft tanks to Ukraine.

As well as threatening Nato shipments, the Kremlin has targeted Ukrainian train stations in what it said was a bid to stop the delivery of Western-made weapons to the eastern Donbas region, where the heaviest fighting is now taking place.

Smoke rises above the western Ukrainian city of Lviv after an air strike on 3 May, 2022 (AFP via Getty Images)

The Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday that it had successfully disabled six railway stations, without giving any more details. It added that it had struck 40 Ukrainian military sites, including ammunition depots.

Moscow also launched new attacks in western Ukraine on Tuesday, with the mayor of Lviv saying Russian missiles had hit electricity and water networks in the city.