Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.
- The Ukrainian military for the first time on Tuesday tested anti-tank missiles made in the US and supplied by the Trump administration.
- Ukraine had long been seeking these missiles to gain an advantage in the ongoing conflict with Russia-backed rebels in the eastern part of the country, known as the Donbas.
- The conflict in eastern Ukraine, which began after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2017, has resulted in the deaths of roughly 10,000 people, according the United Nations.
The Ukrainian military for the first time on Tuesday tested anti-tank missiles made in the US and supplied by the Trump administration.
The US government approved the sale of the Javelin anti-tank missiles in March at an estimated cost of roughly $47 million and they arrived in Ukraine in late April.
Ukraine had long been seeking these missiles to gain an advantage in the ongoing conflict with Russia-backed rebels in the eastern part of the country, known as the Donbas. Accordingly, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko celebrated the first test of the missile on Twitter, stating, "Finally this day has come! Today, for the first time in Ukraine, the launch of Javelin missile complexes took place."
"This is a very effective defensive weaponry, which is used in the event of Russian offensive on the positions of Ukrainian troops," Poroshenko added.
In a separate tweet, the Ukrainian leader said he was "grateful" to President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of
A video of the test was posted on Facebook.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine, which began after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2017, has resulted in the deaths of roughly 10,000 people, according the United Nations.
The fighting is ongoing and nearly a dozen people have been killed in recent days despite efforts to resolve the conflict diplomatically.