Biden allows Ukraine to hit some targets in Russia with US weapons | BBC News

Biden allows Ukraine to hit some targets in Russia with US weapons | BBC News

for the first time the US has given Ukraine permission to use American weapons to strike Russian territory but only near the hake region Russia has been intensifying its attacks against Ukraine’s second biggest city in recent weeks the local authorities say three people have been killed in strikes overnight or discussions on whether keev should be allowed to use Western weapons against Targets in Russia has dominated debate in recent weeks Ukraine and some of its allies say it needs to hit troop concentrations and missile la launch sites across the border here’s the NATO Chief Yen Stenberg speaking in the last half hour we need to remember what this is this is a war or aggression Russia has attacked another country violated in in international law invaded Ukraine and Ukraine has the right for self-defense uh and that includes also the right to strike legitimate military targets inside Russia and let me add to that this is even more urgent as we see that Russia has opened the new front they have attacked now again from uh from the north in the into the K region uh and the borderline and the front line is more or less the same so they are hitting Ukraine with missiles with artillery uh based inside Russia and of course uh Ukraine must be able to hit back and to defend themselves this is part of the right for self-defense let’s speak to our correspondent Gene McKenzie in keev and Jee what’s the reaction being there there to the fact that President Bren is now saying he will allow Ukraine to use uh Us weapons uh in Russia but in albeit in a limited way this is a hugely significant step by the US and by President Biden and it is something that zalinski has really been pushing on for the past few weeks as have other countries in Europe and Biden has until this moment stood firm very throughout this war saying that you know us weapons should only be used to strike Russian targets inside Ukraine or inside the Russian occupied parts of Ukraine and should not be used to strike into Russia itself and the reason for this is that President Biden has been fearful for escalating this conflict worried that Russia might perceive uh Ukraine using Western weapons into Russia as an attack on Russia by the United States or by NATO but clearly the situation on the battlefield over the last month has changed you know we’ve seen Russian troops go go into this region in the northeast of the country take Villages and the Russians are now using you know Russian territory to to launch attacks into the Hari region that are devastating and zalinsky has essentially said that that his troops have had to watch these attacks be mounted and there is nothing that they can do until the the missiles and the bombs enter Ukrainian territory he has said essentially that troops are fighting with one hand behind their back but as you say the US has issued very strict rules on what Ukraine is going to be able to do now with these Us weapons so it can only use the weapons to strike over the Border in this H Hy region where they are being attacked from so they can’t use these weapons on other areas of the front and crucially they cannot use these long range us missiles to strike deep into the heart of Russian territory we know the ukrainians so far have been using their own drones to strike critical infrastructure in Russia like power stations and oil refineries now this they will not be able to do with these Us weapons but it should help them defend against these Glide bombs which have caused so much Devastation in Ukraine over the past couple of months you know these are bombs that are launched from Russian planes in Russian territories into Ukrainian territory and Ukraine will now have more ability to defend against these and given the restrictions you mentioned how quickly do you think this might affect the the course of the war if this policy changes implemented well certainly the ukrainians have been saying that this will make a big difference to them and this this area along the harke region is the the area where you know Ukraine has really been feeling the heat from Russia and that is because it is the only area really where the Russians are able to sit along the border and launch these attacks so I think the ukrainians are fairly confident that this is going to make a difference Jee McKenzie thank you very much indeed

US President Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to use American-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia, but only near the Kharkiv region, US officials have said.

One official said his team had been directed to ensure Ukraine was able to use US weapons for “counter-fire purposes” to “hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them”.

Russian forces have made gains in the north-eastern Kharkiv region in recent weeks after a surprise offensive in the area, close to the border with Russia.

European leaders and the UK had called for restrictions on the use of such weapons to be relaxed, despite concerns that such a development could further escalate the conflict.

President Vladimir Putin warned that attacks by Ukraine on Russia with Western missiles risked triggering a wider war.

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