US President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use American-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia will “significantly boost” Ukraine’s defensive capabilities, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s press secretary, Serhii Nykyforov.
Nykyforov announced on Friday that Ukraine had received “positive signals through diplomatic channels about the limited use of US-supplied weapons” in the region bordering Kharkiv. He said that this decision “will significantly boost our ability to counter Russian attempts to mass across the border.”
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The decision allows Ukraine to use US-supplied HIMARS and ATACMS missiles to target Russian soldiers and command centers, as reported by the Guardian.
In a parallel move, Germany has also agreed to permit Ukraine to use weapons it has delivered against targets in Russia.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, according to a report by AFP on Friday that Ukraine had the “right under international law to defend itself” against attacks originating from within Russia, particularly near the border with Ukraine.
“To this end, it can also use the weapons supplied for this purpose... including those supplied by us,” Hebestreit added.
An article in Politico, citing three unnamed US officials, claimed that President Joe Biden’s administration has covertly approved certain Ukrainian strikes within Russia using US weapons. This policy change, formulated after Zelensky's appeal, is limited to targeting Russian military forces attacking Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
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“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine can use US weapons for counter-fire purposes in Kharkiv so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them,” one official told Politico. He added that the policy of not permitting long-range strikes inside Russia remains unchanged.
On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted at policy adjustments, suggesting that the administration was adapting to battlefield developments.
Politico stressed that Ukraine can now use US weapons, such as missiles and rocket launchers, to intercept Russian missiles targeting Kharkiv and strike troops near the border. However, Ukraine cannot use these weapons against civilian infrastructure or for long-range attacks deep into Russia, a limitation Kyiv has previously acknowledged.
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