Politics Media: USA allows Ukraine to attack targets in Russia

According to US media reports, US President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use long-range missiles against certain targets in Russia. The "New York Times" reported, citing US government officials, that the initial aim was to defend the Ukrainian-occupied western Russian region of Kursk. A counter-offensive by Moscow is looming there. The "Washington Post" wrote that the authorization was a reaction to the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers in the region. The US Department of Defense initially declined to comment on the reports when asked.

According to the reports, the specific issue is permission to deploy missiles for the long-range ATACMS artillery system. The weapons would probably initially be used against Russian and North Korean troops to defend the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kursk region in western Russia, the New York Times quoted the unnamed officials as saying.

So far, the US has limited the use of its weapons against Russia to defending against the Russian offensive against the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Here, the USA has authorized the use of the Himars missile launcher system.

Ukraine has long been requesting the release of long-range US-made weapons for use on Russian territory. Kiev argues that this is the only way to reach Russian military airports from which fighter jets can take off to drop glide bombs or fire missiles at Ukrainian targets.

SDA