US officials push back on reports of dark web javelin missiles: 'Russian disinformation'
Officials insist known Russian disinformation social media accounts spread the reports
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U.S. officials have deemed reports of Javelin missile sales on the dark web as little more than further Russian disinformation.
"We have no evidence that corroborates this claim," Eric Pahon, Pentagon Spokesman, told FOX Business. "In addition, the source cited is a known Russian propaganda and disinformation network."
Reports first started appearing on social media, showing screenshots of supposed sales on the dark web asking for $30,000 for an FGM-148 Javelin — the famous "fire and forget" anti-tank guided missile system.
The posts claim that the sales come from Ukraine, implying that the weapons have been diverted from official sources.
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President Biden has pledged billions of dollars in military assistance, adding another $700 million package this week that included 1,000 Javelin rockets. The U.S. has already provided 5,500 Javelins to Ukraine — a number that at one point threatened to diminish sufficient stockpiles for its own war plans, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The State Department told Fox News Digital that it "consistently monitors any reports of alleged diversion of U.S.-origin defense equipment anywhere and takes any allegations of potential weapons diversions seriously."
"Given Russia’s active and well-known use of disinformation, in accordance with its well-worn playbook, the authenticity of such images cannot be taken at face value and should be viewed with skepticism," a State Department spokesperson said. "The Russian government is heavily invested in producing disinformation to distract the international community from the Kremlin’s unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine."
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The spokesperson added that officials will work with Ukrainian government partners to ensure all weapons and funds delivered from the U.S. "continues to be properly used and safeguarded" as Ukraine continues to fight back Russia’s invasion.
The White House similarly pushed back on the reports, insisting that the sources spreading these claims have known pro-Russian information sources.
President Joe Biden speaks during tour of the Lockheed Martin Pike County Operations facility where Javelin anti-tank missiles are manufactured, Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in Troy, Ala. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci / AP Newsroom)
"While the U.S. government takes allegations of potential weapons diversion seriously, the source cited here does not appear credible, and is being amplified by sources that have been known to disseminate pro-Russian disinformation," a National Security Council Spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
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The spokesperson stressed that Moscow has a record of "spreading disinformation regarding weapons proliferation from Ukraine."
Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.