UKRAINE
Biden to let Ukraine strike inside Russia with U.S. weapons
May 31, 2024 - President Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to launch U.S.-supplied weapons at military targets in Russia, but only near the Kharkiv region.
The decision marks a policy shift by Biden, who had steadfastly refused to allow Ukraine to use American weaponry for strikes inside Russia.
U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Biden’s decision applies only to targets inside Russia near the border with the Kharkiv region, where an offensive launched by Moscow on May 10 has overrun some villages.
The officials said that U.S. policy would continue to prohibit the Ukrainian military from using ATACMS, which have a range of up to 300 km, and other long-range U.S.-supplied weapons for deep strikes inside Russia.
Some NATO allies and U.S. lawmakers have been calling on Biden to relax the restriction on U.S. weapons to allow Ukraine to strike missile launchers and other military sites inside Russia that are backing Moscow’s drive toward Kharkiv.
Russia fighter jets flying inside Russia out of reach of Ukrainian air defences have been supporting the offensive by launching highly precise glide bombs at Ukrainian defence lines and into Kharkiv, where they have caused numerous civilian casualties, Reuters said.