Ukraine has recently used U.S. weapons to strike targets inside Russia, according to statements from a U.S. senator and a Western official familiar with the situation.
These strikes were carried out under new guidelines approved by President Biden, which permit American arms to be used against targets within Russia for the specific purpose of defending Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
The Western official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information, confirmed this. Additionally, Republican Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, acknowledged the use of U.S. weapons in these strikes, though he did not disclose the source of his information.
Biden's directive allows Ukrainian forces to use U.S. weapons to strike Russian forces that are either attacking or preparing to attack. However, U.S. policy still restricts Ukraine from using American-supplied ATACMS or long-range missiles for offensive strikes within Russia, according to U.S. officials.
Ukrainian officials have increasingly urged the U.S. to permit them to defend against attacks originating from Russian territory. Kharkiv, located just 12 miles from the Russian border, has been subjected to intensified Russian assaults.
Russian forces have taken advantage of delays in the replenishment of U.S. military aid and Western Europe's insufficient military production, which has slowed the delivery of essential supplies to Ukraine's battlefield.
On Tuesday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby stated that he could not confirm whether Ukraine had used U.S. weapons to strike targets in Russia. Kirby noted, "We’re just not in a position on a day-to-day basis of knowing exactly what the Ukrainians are firing at what. It’s certainly at a tactical level."
Following the White House's policy change, Germany also announced it would allow Ukraine to use some of its supplied long-range weapons to target locations within Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Germany on Wednesday that such actions would be a "dangerous step," suggesting that Moscow might then provide long-range weapons to strike Western targets.
A report from the Institute for the Study of War indicated that on June 1 or June 2, Ukrainian forces likely used the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to hit a Russian S-300/400 air defense battery in the Belgorod region. This air defense system was positioned approximately 40 miles from the current front line in the Kharkiv region and more than 50 miles from the city of Kharkiv, which is within HIMARS' range.
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