US desire to prolong Ukraine war behind HIMARS delivery: Moscow

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The United States having an "unrestrained desire" to prolong the Ukraine war is what stands behind its delivery of four or more High Mobility Artillery Systems (HIMARS) for use by Kiev's forces, the Russian Embassy in the United States said on Saturday.

US President Joe Biden authorized on Friday a new $400 million drawdown of additional military aid for Kiev amid the Ukraine war.

Read more: Ukrainian MoD: HIMARS arrive in Ukraine

The US Defense Department said earlier that day that the new batch of arms includes four HIMARS, 1,000 rounds of 155-millimeter artillery munitions with greater precision capabilities, counter-battery systems, and other military equipment.

"We noted the Pentagon's statement about the upcoming delivery of four more HIMARS MLRS to Ukraine. Washington's unrestrained desire to prolong the conflict at any cost, compensate for the growing losses of the national battalions and Ukrainian armed forces through the delivery of arms is behind this decision," the Embassy said on Telegram.

Read next: US shows readiness to escalate following HIMARS statement: Antonov

The Embassy called the statements of US officials about "defensive purposes" of the use of US arms in Ukraine inconsequential since Kiev uses American weapons to shell Donbass and target residential areas of the city of Donetsk.

Just last Thursday, the White House announced that the United States was sending a new batch of military supplies to Ukraine. The new batch of arms supply is worth $450 million in shipments.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu previously said the arms supplied by the West to Ukraine were ending up on the black market and spreading across West Asia. 

Read next: US arms supplies to Kiev may end up in shadow markets of other countries

Former senior Pentagon advisor Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik on Thursday that Ukraine is selling weapons it acquired from the West on the black market due to the Kiev forces' limited ability to use them because of their lack of training, logistical challenges, and the diminishing size of the Ukrainian armed forces.

"Even more effective US-supplied weapons like anti-tank Javelin missiles, M142 HIMARS high mobility artillery rocket systems, and M270 MLRS multiple-launch rocket systems would probably start appearing on the black market once the Ukrainians decide to negotiate a cease-fire and a settlement with Moscow," Kwiatkowski explained.

Ukraine has received billions and billions of dollars in donated arms from the United States and its allies, such as the United Kingdom and other NATO states in the past few months. The Biden administration alone, as of July 1, has committed nearly $7 billion, the US State Department said last week.

Though the United States has been taking care of providing training for the Ukrainian soldiers when it comes to arms they are not accustomed to, Kiev is still selling its arms to the black market due to "inexperience".

Even the HIMARS are likely to be sold, according to Kwiatkowski, though Pentagon policy chief Colin Kahl said Kiev's forces recently completed training on HIMARS delivered to Ukraine by Washington and London.