The Trump administration has approved the export of lethal small arms including a multimillion dollar sniper rifle deal, ramping up its support for Ukraine in the simmering conflict with Russia-backed separatists. Moscow condemned the move as likely to escalate violence. The state department said on Wednesday it had approved a license for US manufacturers to sell .50 caliber firearms and smaller weapons to Ukraine, including assault rifles, combat shotguns, silencers, military scopes and flash suppressors. Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the license was “nothing new” since Ukraine has previously purchased small amounts of such weapons. But The Washington Post reported that the state department had approved a license for the $41.5 million commercial sale of .50 caliber Barrett M107A1 sniper rifles and ammunition to Ukraine. During a trip to eastern Ukraine this week, soldiers told The Telegraph they were outgunned by separatist snipers. The sale could complicate hopes for new peace talks and lead to further casualties in the war, which has claimed more than 10,300 lives. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova speaks during a press briefing this month Credit: Mikhail Japaridze/TASS via Getty Images On Thursday, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said by selling Kiev the sniper rifles and other arms, Washington was encouraging “massive bloodshed” in eastern Ukraine and becoming an “accomplice to murder”. The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe has reported at least 1,000 ceasefire violations a day this month, although a contact group between the OSCE, Ukraine and Russia on Wednesday agreed a new ceasefire attempt for 23 December. The US congress authorised the export of lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine in a law signed in 2014, but Barack Obama's administration refrained from delivering the arms. The US government is still not directly supplying weapons to Ukraine, and the export of the much-sought Javelin antitank missiles has not been approved. Secretary of state Rex Tillerson speaks during a visit to Ukraine in July Credit: Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters Donald Trump reportedly approved the sniper rifle license following a memo by defence secretary Jim Mattis and secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who have, unlike Mr Trump, harshly condemned Russia's actions in the region. The commander of a Ukrainian frontline position near Svitlodarsk told The Telegraph this week that his unit had no sniper rifles or heavy machine guns even though they're targeted by separatist snipers. Government troops have complained of equipment shortages. When the commander, who would give his name only as Gennady, was informed during the interview that separatists had moved toward the unit's positions, he could only tell his men to keep an eye on them. “They're digging a bunker on the other bank of the lake, but it's too far too shoot,” he explained. Ukrainian soldiers unload ammunition and supplies on the frontline near Luhanske Credit: Anatoliy Stepanov/For The Telegraph A soldier outside Avdiivka said a separatist sniper had killed another member of his unit last week. The M107A1, which is known as an anti-materiel rifle because it can penetrate light armour and buildings, reportedly has an effective range of nearly 2,000 yards and is comparable to top Russian .50 caliber rifles.
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