Russia has asked Washington and Ankara for explanations over reports that a significant quantity of US weapons and ammunition held in Turkey could be transferred to Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Sunday.

Zakharova warned that such a move could damage relations between Russia and both the United States and Turkey.

“Such a move would cause serious damage to our bilateral relations with Washington and Ankara,” she said in a statement.

The comments followed the release of US congressional documents indicating that Ukraine is preparing to purchase 70 short range ATACMS ballistic missiles from Turkey.

The reported transfer would require approval from the United States because the weapons are of US origin.

According to the documents, the US State Department has indicated to Congress that it is prepared to approve the resale of the weapons to Ukraine.

Zakharova said Russia was seeking clarification from both Washington and Ankara over the reported plans.

The ATACMS missiles are US made ballistic weapons designed for precision strikes against targets at considerable range and have previously been supplied to Ukraine by the United States.

The reported Turkish transfer would come as Ukraine continues to seek additional weapons and ammunition from its international partners amid the war with Russia.

The Russian government has repeatedly criticised Western military support for Ukraine and warned that further arms deliveries could deepen tensions with Moscow.