Biden authorizes Ukraine to target Russia with US long-range missiles, media reports

Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect comments made by several sources to Reuters regarding upcoming long-range attacks by Kyiv and reporting by Axios.

U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles for strikes inside Russia, marking a significant shift in U.S. policy, the New York Times reported on Nov. 17.

Ukraine will likely initially use the missiles against Russian and North Korean forces in Kursk Oblast but Washington could also authorize their use elsewhere, undisclosed official sources told the news outlet.

Unnamed U.S. officials, as well as a source familiar with the decision, who spoke to Reuters following the decision said that Kyiv plans to conduct its first long-range strikes in the coming days. The sources did not provide any additional details citing operational security concerns.

The decision comes as Russia, with the support of North Korean troops, prepares a large-scale assault on Ukrainian forces in the embattled Russian region.

While the U.S. officials do not expect this move to “change the overall course of the war,” Biden aims to help Ukraine target critical Russian and North Korean military assets and send a deterrent message to Pyongyang.

An undisclosed source confirmed for Axios that the permission concerns only Kursk Oblast, adding that the decision was communicated to Kyiv three days ago, the outlet reported on Nov. 18.

The policy change follows Biden's previous hesitance to provide such weapons, out of concern for escalating tensions with Russia.

Proponents of the decision have long argued that this authorization would significantly enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities, especially with Russia increasing military offensives on many fronts, and intensifying drone and missile attacks in recent months.

The talks on loosening U.S. restrictions reportedly began after Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Aug. 30 visited Washington and presented senior officials with a list of high-value targets in Russia that Ukraine wants to hit with Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).

Russia mulls ‘various responses’ if West aids Ukraine with long-range strikes, Putin says

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.

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek