Why did Russia allow an airplane carrying US Javelin missiles to reach Ukraine?

So, you would clearly commit to an act of war??

The Russians have already committed many acts of war in this theatre. As a matter of strategy why allow the Ukrainians to get stronger?

I’d say it’s a signal they are not up for a full scale ground war.

Russia did move in medical staff and supplies for full-on battlefield medical support. That should bring pause to all of us about how serious the situation is becoming.

There were already Javelin missiles there. Another load wouldn’t make any difference…

Any other “acts of war” “The Russians have already committed” don’t amount to shooting down an airplane full of anti-tank missiles over Ukraine airspace. That would be WAY over the top in acts of war. Totally blatant!

Nah, I disagree. First that’s not what I said. Second, massive troop deployments, and an existing battleground in the east definitely doesn’t require air quotes as acts of war, not to mention the annexation of Crimea.

I’d explain it to but I don’t you would understand !

It would be an act of war ! ! ! ! !

Javelin missiles are man-portable, and are already in Ukraine.

Ukraine borders on Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, and the Black Sea.

There’s no way Russia knows the cargo of the countless planes, boats, vehicles, etc entering into Ukraine.

The notion that a Russian tank would be shooting at a plane because it somehow knew there were Javelin’s on board is bizarre.

And as others have said, shooting down a weapon shipment from the US, would be an escalation that, if they were going to escalate that much, I expect they might choose to do something more effective or intelligent instead.

Shipping huge quantities of weapons to Russia’s opponent might be taken as an act of war, no?

Meh. There aren’t many real “acts of war” left in superpower politics. There’s posturing, espionage, opportunism and accidents. Threatening is posturing. Arming is posturing. No one wants an actual battle, because the outcomes are too unpredictable. Everyone is better off without direct military conflict and they know it.

@Ltryptophan “Shipping huge quantities of weapons to Russia’s opponent might be taken as an act of war, no?”
– No. Especially not when there’s no official enemy status, no conflict, no treaty it’s violating, the weapons are essentially defensive anti-tank weapons, etc no.

Shipping is one thing. Killing the people who are employed to do the shipping is another. It involves actual shooting!

Not worth the risk and provocation. Anyway, with modern satellite imagery being what it is, I don’t doubt they can detect the missile site at a later time, if they don’t know already. Just launch a strike at the proper time and take them out. Problem solved. And less risky than shooting down an American plane.