Pentagon: Russia Fires Artillery at Ukraine Troops; Will Supply Ukraine Rebels with Stronger Weapons

The Pentagon has gathered intelligence showing that Russian troops have been firing artillery across the border at the Ukraine military, the Washington Times website reports today (July 24, 2014).

Pentagon officials said today that the destabilizing development was revealed to them via an interagency intelligence briefing this morning. U.S. spy satellites are believed to have shown Russia's use of artillery against the Ukrainian troops.

In addition, the United States is now tracking a Russian plan to supply its Ukraine-based supporters with stronger, more damaging weapons than they already have on hand, State Department spokesperson Marie Harf said. U.S. spy satellites have also shown Russian troops at a military base in Rostov in southwestern Russia training Ukrainian separatists on how to use more powerful rocket launchers.

"We have new evidence that the Russians intend to deliver heavier and more powerful multiple rocket launchers to the separatist forces in Ukraine and have evidence that Russia is firing artillery from within Russia to attack Ukrainian military positions," Harf said during a press briefing this afternoon.