Key developments on Nov. 20: * Ukraine strikes Russia with Storm Shadows for the first time, Bloomberg reports * Biden approves delivery of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine in light of Russian gains in east * Ukrainian drones allegedly strike Russian factories, weapons arsenal * North Korean troops in Russia to be led by secrecy-shrouded
If confirmed, this would mark the first instance of Ukraine using U.S.-made long-range missiles on Russian territory since Washington eased the restrictions last week.
"The weapons President Biden authorized Ukraine to use will give it more capabilities to defend itself and, hopefully, make the Russian Federation understand that using force to seize Ukrainian territory will not succeed," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Brian A. Nichols said in an interview.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to strike targets in Russia with long-range American missiles, calling it "a good decision" on Nov. 18.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has "made his position clear" on the matter and will "not change his position anymore," spokesperson Wolfgang Buchner told AFP.
"You know, with the reports in Western media, it is obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends to take steps... to add fuel to the fire and continue to provoke further escalation of tensions," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the media.
"This is a very big step towards the start of World War III," lawmaker Vladimir Dzhabarov said, according to Russia’s state-owned TASS state news agency.
"But strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron hope President Joe Biden will give the approval sought by Kyiv for months as a step towards cementing his foreign policy legacy.
Although the precise consequences of the Ukrainian attack are difficult to establish, the recent strike is still "significant in several ways," the War Zone's experts said.
In 2022, Russia launched long-range strikes deep into Ukraine, confident that Ukraine could not retaliate in kind. By 2023, that situation changed. Ukraine received medium-range HIMARS rockets from the U.S., Storm Shadow and SCALP cruise missiles from the U.K. and France, and developed long-range attack drones of its
Ukraine faces a tricky dilemma as winter approaches. How can it disrupt an expected mass Russian missile campaign targeting the country's infrastructure while simultaneously being barred from using Western-supplied weapons to strike deep inside Russia? Despite being limited to the use of long-range kamikaze drones, one method employed by Kyiv
The Russian Defense Ministry is considering "various options" as a response if Ukraine launches long-range strikes against Russia with Western support, Russian President Vladimir Putin told state media in an interview published on Oct. 27.
Last month, a Russian missile blew apart an apartment building in the center of Lviv. I sent a message to a friend who lives there: Was everyone okay? “Yes, we were lucky,” he replied. “Our friends who live just next to us, a young woman and her three daughters, are
Ukraine's victory plan includes a request for greater numbers of ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles and a permission to launch then against military targets in Russia, presidential advisor Mykhailo Podolyak told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in comments published on Oct. 14.
Ukraine carried out a successful strike against Russia's Khanskaya military airfield in the Adygea Republic, the military said.
Key developments on Oct. 3: * Ukrainian drones strike Russian airfield in Voronezh Oblast, SBU source says * Zelensky calls for jointly intercepting Russian missiles during NATO chief Rutte's visit to Kyiv * Russia attacking Kursk Oblast settlements with no Ukrainian troops present, Kyiv's military claims * Ukraine receives Patriot air defense system from
"If you look at the weapons we've provided them, we've made it very clear that they can use them to retaliate against Russian targets across the border that are conducting attacks," U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a briefing on Sept. 30.
The bipartisan committee tasked with promoting democracy and human rights in post-Soviet states is urging the U.S. to abandon its post-Cold War approach to Russia and officially recognize Moscow as a "persistent" threat to global security.
Ukrainian forces struck the Kotluban military arsenal in Russia's Volgograd Oblast, the General Staff reported on Sept. 29. The military arsenal was used to store and modernize missiles and artillery, according to the General Staff. Iranian-made Shahed missiles had also been transported to the facility shortly before the attack took
U.S. intelligence agencies have cautioned that Russia may respond with increased force, potentially including lethal attacks on the U.S. and its allies, if Ukraine is allowed to use long-range missiles supplied by the U.S., U.K., and France for strikes deep into Russian territory, the New York
"Today, Ukrainian drones fly over 1,000 kilometers (623 miles), reaching Murmansk and the Volga region, destroying Russian oil refineries and airfields," Defense Minister Rustem Umerov wrote.
The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces confirmed on the afternoon of Sept. 21 that the country's military and security service struck two Russian arms depots overnight.
Key developments on Sept. 19: * Russian attack on retirement home in Sumy kills at least 1, injures 14 * Russia redeploys 40,000 troops to Kursk Oblast as Kyiv's incursion continues, Zelensky says * European Parliament backs Ukrainian strikes inside Russia, Taurus missiles delivery * Russia mining dams in Belgorod Oblast, Ukraine's military
The European Parliament passed a resolution on Sept. 19 calling for EU member states to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons inside Russia, and accelerate weapons deliveries, "including Taurus missiles."
"It's for the individual allies to make these decisions, but it's important that we consult closely on these issues as we do," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
Russia's Defense Ministry said on Sept. 15 that it was attacked by 29 Ukrainian drones overnight and that it had downed all of them using emergency air defense.
ATACMS restrictions are "the subject of intense consultation among allies and partners, and will be (discussed) between President (Biden) and President Zelensky," U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.
Ukraine's hopes of being allowed to use Western-supplied long range missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory were put on hold once again on Sept. 13, after the leaders of the U.S. and U.K. stopped short of making the announcement Kyiv wanted. Anticipation had been high ahead of
"There is no change to our view on the provision of long-range strike capabilities for Ukraine to use inside of Russia," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.
Russia started the war against Ukraine and can end it right away, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters on Sept. 12 following Russian leader Vladimir Putin's warnings that the use of Western arms in Russia would draw NATO into war.
It remains unclear whether the decision on the long-range strikes will be taken during the meeting between U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Joe Biden this Friday or later in September during a U.N. assembly in New York, the source said.
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