Stanisland Magazine

Latest news from the war suggests mixed reactions as international aid arrives in Kyiv.

The United States has dispatched approximately 1.1 million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine from a seized shipment confiscated from an Iranian vessel bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen. The delivery contains more than 200 million bullets and handheld explosives. This follows a pledge from the Biden administration to supply Ukraine with ATACMS missiles, a long-range weapons system capable of delivering a tactical blow to Russia’s military aspirations.

How Did the United States Obtain the Munitions?

Following a civil forfeiture case to claim ownership of the ammunition on grounds it violated an international UN embargo, shells and grenades were transferred to Kyiv’s government. A press release from the US Central Command was issued, where the administration said: “On Oct. 2, 2023, the U.S. government transferred approximately 1.1 million 7.62mm rounds to the Ukrainian armed forces. The government obtained ownership of these munitions on July 20, 2023, through the Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture claims against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).”

A resolution was passed in 2015 preventing the transfer of arms to Houthi rebels by the UN Security Council. This led the United States to seize arms captured on the 9th of December 2022 from a stateless ship, named MARWAN 1

Yemen Conflict Origins: Who and Why the War Began

In 2014, a militia from northern Yemen known as the ‘Houthi’, carried out a series of attacks against the Yemeni government, accusing it of widespread corruption.

The Saudi Arabian and the United Arab Emirates government sided with the Yemeni authorities, providing it with weapons, whilst also carrying out airstrikes against rebel groups. They have also been accused of harming heavily populated civilian areas.

The United States and the United Kingdom have also supplied military aid to the Sanaa government in the form of arms sales and logistical support.

Following the outbreak of the conflict, more than 377,000 people have been killed as a consequence, and 85,000 children have died from famine-induced starvation triggered by a complex array of reasons which include conflict, sanctions and economic collapse. The conflict continues to this day.

The Iranian government is yet to respond; though it is suspected their reaction will be one of objection.