Russian Ambassador to Ecuador Vladimir Sprinchan said on the Rossiya 24 TV channel that sending old Russian military equipment to the United States from Ecuador would be perceived as an unfriendly step. This announcement was made in light of plans by Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa to exchange old Russian and Ukrainian equipment for new weapons from the United States worth $200 million.

Sprinchan emphasized that the Russian side believes that the Americans do not need such equipment, especially considering its description as “scrap metal.” According to him, this equipment is more likely to be needed by those who know how to handle Russian weapons, hinting at Ukraine. The ambassador also recalled that military-technical cooperation is a “rather closed area” and expressed concern that such a step on the part of Ecuador could contribute to the conflict in Ukraine.

Sprinchan also pointed out that sending military equipment to Ukraine would contradict Ecuador’s stated peacekeeping position regarding the special military operation and the conflict in Ukraine. The Ecuadorian authorities did not specify what kind of equipment they plan to exchange - military or civilian. It is known that the country uses Soviet Mi-171E helicopters and Igla MANPADS. Typically, the transfer of military equipment to third countries is limited by the terms of contracts.

Previously, local media reported that the government of former Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso was considering transferring Russian equipment to Ukraine, but no concrete actions followed. In 2023, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, at a meeting with the Ambassador of Ecuador in Moscow, Juan Fernando Holguin Flores, expressed hope that Quito would not supply weapons to Kyiv.