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.
A small group of White House officials have been holding talks on expanding the area within Russia that Ukraine can hit with U.S.-supplied weapons, an official told Politico.
In response to a question about whether the U.S. would change its policy regarding long-range strikes, which President Joe Biden has reportedly considered in recent weeks, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken answered cagily, saying that the U.S. has been willing to flexibly alter its strategy "from day one."
Their arrival comes amid mounting calls for the Biden administration to lift restrictions on long-range strikes deep inside Russia to allow Ukraine to better respond to Russian attacks.
U.S. Senator Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona and former finalist to be Kamala Harris's running mate, spoke with the Kyiv Independent and is the latest to say the limitations need to be reconsidered.
"The argument that somehow, you just give them ATACMS and tell them they're gonna be able to hit the majority of Russian aircraft and airbases that are, in fact, used to strike them, it's not true, it's a misconception," U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said in a response to a journalist's question.
Just before sunrise on an otherwise sleepy weekend near Moscow, a Russian eyewitness of Ukraine’s kamikaze drone attack on the Kashira Power Plant appeared stunned, unleashing an expletive-laden tirade with his wife alongside. "They f***g attacked the power plant! Wow, honey!" he said in a video posted on
Ukraine has not received all the weapons promised by the West, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 2. "We have not received everything we want to use," Zelensky added.
"This terrible policy which actually protects Russian airfields better than it protects Ukrainian civilians is a manifestation of the fact that we don't have a clearly defined objective," retired U.S. Lieutenant General Ben Hodges said.
“I appeal to the U.S., the U.K., France and Germany. We need the ability to genuinely and fully defend Ukraine and Ukrainians. We require both: permissions for long-range capabilities and your long-range shells and missiles,” Zelensky said in his evening address.
"We have explained what kind of capabilities we need to protect the citizens against the Russian terror that Russians are causing us, so I hope we were heard," Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.
Key developments on Aug. 30: * Russian attack on Kharkiv kills at least 7, including child, injures over 90 * Ukrainian forces advance 2 kilometers into Kursk Oblast, Syrskyi says * Russia claims downing of 18 drones overnight, Kaluga airport reportedly attacked * Zelensky dismisses Air Force Commander Oleshchuk * EU to train additional 15,
The Ukrainain military on Aug. 28 attacked oil depots in Russia's Rostov Oblast and, for the first time, in Kirov Oblast some 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from the Ukrainian border, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Aug. 29.
The U.K. backs the use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine for strikes deep inside Russia but will not pursue the call publicly, fearing disagreement with the U.S., The Telegraph reported on Aug. 28, citing undisclosed sources.
Ukraine is planning to submit a list of targets in Russia that Kyiv could strike with American-supplied long-range weapons to the top U.S. national security officials, Politico reported on Aug. 27 citing unnamed sources.
Emergency services have been battling a fire for the third consecutive day at an oil depot in Proletarsk, a town in Russia's Rostov Oblast, following a drone strike on Aug. 18, Rostov Oblast Governor Vasily Golubev reported on Aug. 20.
"The only way to stop the glide bombs is to hit the air bases used by those Russian planes; and the only way to hit those bases is to use the Western kit they already have," he said.
One British government source told The Times that the request has been effectively "stuck in their (U.S.) system," while another called it a "routine U.S. process."
Key developments on Aug. 16: * Ukrainian forces destroyed bridge over Seim River in Kursk Oblast, Russian authority claims * U.S. reluctant to allow ATACMS in Kursk Oblast due to limited supply, CNN reports * Myrnohrad residents evacuating as Russian forces reach 6 km from the town * Ukraine reportedly strikes ferry crossing
"If Ukraine could strike the enemy troops on their territory, from where they threaten Ukraine, then Ukraine would be in a much better position to protect itself," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said.
The U.K. government did not give Ukraine permission to use its Storm Shadow long-range missiles in Kyiv's incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast, The Telegraph reported on Aug. 13, citing an undisclosed government source.
The United States will decide on the use of American-made weapons provided to Ukraine, including F-16 fighters, for strikes in Russia depending on the situation on the battlefield and the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, according to the State Department.
Ukrainian forces attacked the Morozovsk airfield in Russia's Rostov Oblast, successfully hitting its ammunition depot storing glide bombs, among other weapons, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces confirmed on Aug. 3.
Two Tu-22M3 bombers were damaged in the July 25 strike targeting the Olenya airfield in Russia's Murmansk Oblast, located about 1,800 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border.
Ukrainian forces struck the oil depot Logistics Center №43 in the village of Vozy in Russia's Kursk Oblast overnight on July 30, the General Staff reported.
Alexei Smirnov, the acting governor of Kursk Oblast, also said that a Ukrainian drone dropped explosives on the town of Tyotkino, located some 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Korenovo. Smirnov claimed that the explosives landed on a house and injured its resident.
"I think it is important to understand that we do not want to see unintended consequences of an escalation that could turn this conflict into a broader one that goes beyond Ukraine. I think this is something that we all need to consider and take very seriously," Pentagon spokesperson Patrick Ryder said in an interview with the Voice of America.
Key updates on July 14: * Ukraine has right to strike military targets within Russian territory, Stoltenberg says * Russian attacks kill 13, injure 54 in Ukraine over past day * Lukashenko claims Belarus is withdrawing troops from Ukrainian border * Russia claims launch of 3-ton aerial glide bombs from Su-34 jets against Ukraine
"But it is possible also to reach targets outside Ukraine (with Danish-supplied F-16s), yes," Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen added.
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