The U.S. is reluctant to allow Ukraine to use its long-range weapons inside Kursk "not because of the risk of escalation, but because the US only has a limited supply," CNN reported on Aug. 16, citing multiple unnamed U.S. officials.
Ukraine launched its surprise Kursk incursion on Aug. 6. Within 10 days, Ukraine claimed control over 82 Russian settlements, including the town of Sudzha.
U.S. Defense Department Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told the press on Aug. 8 that Ukraine's operation is "consistent with our policy" as Kyiv is defending "against attacks that are coming across the border."
Responding to a question on how far into Russian territory Ukraine is allowed to strike, Singh said that the U.S. does "not support long-range attacks," but refused to specify the exact distance.
"I'm not going to draw a circular map on where they can and can't strike, but we've been very clear with the Ukrainians," she said.
The U.S. remains reluctant to greenlight the use of U.S.-supplied long-range weapons in Kursk Oblast, as they "would be better used to continue targeting Russian-occupied Crimea," CNN said.
However, this is due to the "limited supply" of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), rather than long-standing fears of escalating the war, CNN said, citing multiple officials.
The U.S. first supplied long-range ATACMS to Ukraine in March of this year but only announced the deliveries in April. The U.S. provides the most military support to Ukraine, followed by Germany.
According to CNN, the U.S. and Western officials familiar with the latest intelligence "cautioned that Ukraine is extremely unlikely to be able to hold" Russian territory.
The officials also "emphasized that it's too soon to judge how the operation will affect the broader outcome of the war."
Kateryna Hodunova
