Ukrainian troops may use U.S. weapons to strike targets within Russia wherever Russian forces launch cross-border assaults on Ukrainian territory, not just near the Kharkiv Oblast border, U.S. officials confirmed to Politico on June 20.
"My position has not changed, and that is to support Ukraine by providing defense equipment, ammunition, operational logistical support, and defensive weaponry to enable Ukraine to protect itself to hold the front," National Rally leader Jordan Bardella told reporters at the Eurosatory arms show outside of Paris.
Key developments on June 18: * Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade warns of Russian attempt to capture Borova in Kharkiv Oblast * Russian troops beheaded Ukrainian soldier in Donetsk Oblast, Kyiv claims * Putin arrives in North Korea to sign strategic partnership agreement * Media: Italy may send Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, sources say
President Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed the success of strikes inside Russia with Western-supplied weapons, saying the ability to hit "Russian terrorists' positions and launchers near the border… truly matters."
According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's investigative project Schemes, the depot in the Russian city of Azov is run by Azovproduct which can store up to 30,000 tons of oil products.
Last month Washington finally allowed Kyiv to use some U.S.-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia, but only across the border from Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts.
NATO is considering to establish a permanent envoy position in Kyiv as part of its long-term commitment to Ukraine amid the ongoing war, Western officials and U.S. congressional aides familiar with the matter told Foreign Policy.
Washington is not authorizing Kyiv to carry out long-range strikes with U.S.-supplied weapons on locations far from the border with Ukraine, such as Moscow, U.S. President Joe Biden told ABC News on June 6.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he disagrees with imposing restrictions on Kyiv regarding the use of U.S.-supplied weapons and criticized the Biden administration's "micromanaging the war effort in Ukraine," Voice of America reported on June 5.
"Secondly, we think that if somebody considers supplying such weapons to a combat zone to strike our territory... then why don't we have the right to supply comparable weapons to regions where they could be used to strike sensitive targets of countries that do this to Russia?" Vladimir Putin said.
Key developments on June 5: * Battlefield situation is difficult, but Ukraine 'has chance' to change it, Syrskyi says * Ukraine has used US weapons to hit targets inside Russia, source tells AP * Russia still hasn't restored ferry crossing in Crimea after Ukraine's recent strike, military says * Over 800 children killed due
Ukraine's armed forces have used U.S.-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia, the Associated Press (AP) reported on June 5, the first such confirmation since the White House partially lifted a ban on such actions last week.
The U.S. gave Kyiv permission at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion to down military aircraft flying in Russian territory if they pose a threat to Ukraine, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said at a press briefing on June 4 in response to a question on the use of U.S.-supplied weapons on Russian territory.
Key developments on June 4: * Biden: Peace in Ukraine doesn't mean NATO membership * NATO 'land corridors' will rush US troops to front lines of any future European war, Telegraph reports * Ukraine's use of German weapons to strike Russia will not 'contribute to escalation,' Scholz says * Russian missile attack on
In the past, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly cited a fear of escalation as among the principal reasons for limiting Germany's support for Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky on June 2 said the U.S. should allow Ukraine to strike inside Russia with long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles to protect lives.
The statement, which was signed by U.S. Congressmen Michael McCaul, Mike Turner, and Mike Rodgers, said that the "decision should have been made before Russia's recent offensive in Kharkiv, not after."
“The recommendations apply to the northern border in Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts, where Russian forces are firing on Ukraine,” said Michael Carpenter, senior director for Europe at the U.S. National Security Council.
Key updates on May 31: * Presidential Office confirms Washington allowed Kyiv to strike inside Russia with US arms near Kharkiv * 75 Ukrainian prisoners brought back from Russian captivity * Ukraine signs security agreements with Sweden, Norway, Iceland * Ukraine strikes ferry crossing, oil depots in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, General Staff says * SBU
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he thinks Moscow's troops were "laughing" at Ukraine and were able to "hunt" its soldiers because of a ban on using Western-supplied weapons to strike inside Russia.
The U.S. gave Ukraine permission to strike Russian territory with American-supplied weapons, but only near Kharkiv city, President Volodymyr Zelensky's spokesperson, Serhii Nykyforov, confirmed for the Kyiv Independent on May 31.
Ukraine can use German-supplied weapons to strike legitimate military targets inside Russia, Deutsche Welle reported on May 31, citing a German government spokesperson.
The comments come a day after Denmark said Ukraine may use Danish-supplied F-16 jets to strike military targets in Russian territory, as this would be "within the rules of war."
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said bilateral agreements exist "not to be discussed publicly, to draw some 'red lines' as to what is tolerated and what is not."
When asked by reporters on May 30 if there had been a shift in Pentagon policy, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said there had been "no change," without specifically mentioning attacks near the Kharkiv region.
Key developments on May 30: * Ukraine hit 4 Russian patrol boats in occupied Crimea overnight, military intelligence says * Ukraine hits Russian ferry crossing with ATACMS in Crimea, General Staff says * Politico: Biden quietly allows Ukraine to strike Russia with US arms but 'solely near Kharkiv' * Ukraine can use Danish-supplied F-16s
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration secretly lifted the ban for Ukraine to strike Russian territory with American weapons, but "solely near the area of Kharkiv," Politico reported on May 30, citing three unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden on June 8 during Biden's first state visit to France, the White House announced on May 30.
Ukraine can use F-16 jets to strike military targets in Russian territory, as this would be "within the rules of war," Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters in Brussels on May 30.
U.S. and Germany are signaling a potential change to their long-standing policy of not allowing Ukraine to strike military targets on Russian territory with U.S. and German-supplied weapons, according to recent statements and two articles published by Politico on May 29.
Representatives of Finland, Canada, and Poland issued separate statements on May 29 saying Ukraine can use their weapons to strike targets on Russian territory.
Following a new Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine is increasingly raising pressure on its allies, urging them to lift restrictions on the use of Western-provided weapons against military targets inside Russia. Months before the offensive, Kyiv had publicly pledged not to use Western-made weapons to strike targets outside of
The Kyiv Independent doesn’t depend on a wealthy owner or an oligarch — in 2023, 80% of our revenue was from reader contributions . It’s thanks to them that we don’t have to rely on a single owner.
Support us now and help maintain our independent model and keep our articles free for everyone. Your contributions allow us to cover journalists’ salaries, report from the front lines, and fund projects like our War Crimes Investigations Unit.
(Updated: )
