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Slovakia’s transfer of Soviet-, Russian-made weapons to Kiev illegal — Russian embassy

It is noted that relevant Russian-Slovak agreements explicitly prohibit any transfer of weapons and military hardware to third countries without consent from the country of origin

MiG-29 fighter jets Jaroslav Novak/TASR via AP

MiG-29 fighter jets

© Jaroslav Novak/TASR via AP

BRATISLAVA, March 17. /TASS/. Slovakia’s transfer of Soviet-and Russian-made weapons to Ukraine is illegal, the Russian embassy in Bratislava said on Friday, commenting on Slovakia’s decision to send MiG-29 hypersonic fighter jets from its own fleet.

"The transfer of Soviet-and Russian-made weapons to Kiev is illegal from a legal perspective, because relevant Russian-Slovak agreements explicitly prohibit any transfer of weapons and military hardware to third countries without consent from the country of origin," the embassy said.

The Russian embassy warned Bratislava that its further involvement in military support for the Kiev regime will be fraught with unpredictable and dangerous escalation of the conflict and the entire responsibility for that will rest of the side making such decisions.

"In view of the Slovak government’s decision to transfer MiG-29 fighter jets and Kub air defense systems to Ukraine, we would like to once again stress Russia’s position that supplies of weapons and military hardware, including aircraft, to the Kiev regime only protract combat operations, multiple casualties, including among civilians, and in no way help settle the crisis in Ukraine, as Bratislava claims," the embassy stressed.

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