Russia warns US ‘fueling the fire’ by allowing Ukraine to deploy long-range missiles

Biden’s policy shift added an uncertain new factor to the conflict at Tuesday’s milestone of 1,000 days since Russia began its full-scale invasion in 2022.

The same incident occurred when Russia’s cluster bomb ballistic missile hit the Sumy settlement in northern Ukraine, killing 11 people and injuring 84 people. Another missile attack caused apartment fires in the southern port of Odessa, killing at least 10 people and wounding 43, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said.

U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Sunday that Washington is loosening limits on how many strikes Ukraine can deliver with the American-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACM), after months of rejecting such a move out of fear it would escalate the conflict and lead to a direct conflict. Conflict between Russia and NATO.

The Kremlin was quick to condemn it on Monday (Tuesday AEDT).

“It is clear that the outgoing administration in Washington plans to take steps to continue fueling the fire and provoking further escalation of tensions around this conflict, and they are talking about it,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. he said.

Peskov referred reporters to a statement President Vladimir Putin made in September in which he said allowing Ukraine to target Russia would significantly increase the risk.

Putin said at the time that this would “dramatically change the nature of the conflict.” “This would mean that NATO countries (the United States and European countries) are at war with Russia.”

The decision to allow Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia came in the final days of Biden’s presidency, before President-elect Donald Trump took office. Trump has said he will bring the war to a quick end, and many fear this could force Kiev into unacceptable concessions.

The ballistic missiles, developed by US aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin, have a strike range of almost twice as much (up to 300 km) as most weapons in Ukraine’s possession.

They carry a larger payload and have more precise targeting for pinpoint attacks on airfields, ammunition depots and strategic infrastructure.

The US has supplied dozens of ATACMS (pronounced attack ems) to Ukraine, and they have been used to destroy military targets in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine such as Crimea – but not on Russian territory.

What is Biden allowing Ukraine to do?

Biden authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS to strike deeper into Russia, according to a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter.

The long-range missiles will likely be used in response to North Korea’s decision to send troops to support Kremlin forces, according to one of the sources familiar with the development. Pyongyang’s troops are apparently being deployed to help the Russian military dislodge Ukrainian forces from Russia’s Kursk border region, where it launched an offensive in August.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the U.S. decision publicly.

This is the second time Washington has expanded Ukraine’s authority to use US-supplied weapons systems on Russian territory.

In May, after Russia’s attack on the Kharkiv region threatened to weaken Ukrainian forces, Biden authorized the use of 80 km-range HIMARS systems to halt this advance. This decision forced Russian forces to withdraw their military assets, helping Ukrainian soldiers stabilize the conflict for a time.

Why does Ukraine need long-range weapons?

Ukraine wants longer-range weapons from its Western allies to shift the balance of power in a war where Russia is better resourced and strike sensitive air bases, supply depots and communications centers hundreds of kilometers across the border.

He hopes the weapons will blunt Russia’s air power and weaken the supply lines it needs to launch daily attacks on Ukraine and maintain its military ground offensive against Ukraine.

If the weapons are used at Kursk, Russian forces may need to prepare for counterattacks to push back valuable equipment and manpower and complicate battle plans.

Ukraine regularly strikes Russia with domestically produced weapons rather than Western weapons; some are capable of traveling up to 1000 km, but still lack sufficient quantities to cause serious damage in the long term.

Will the decision change the course of the war?

Ukrainian leaders have been cautious about the announcement, and senior US defense and military leaders have persistently argued it will not be a game changer. They also noted that Russia had moved many important assets out of range.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said, “I do not believe that a single capability will be decisive, and I stand by this comment,” and noted that the Ukrainians have other tools to hit long-range targets.

Analysts also suggested the impact may be limited.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, “Today, many people in the media are talking about the fact that we received permission to take appropriate measures. But coups are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. The rockets will speak for themselves.” announcement.

The impact of the decision depends on the rules established for the use of weapons.

If attacks across Russia are allowed, they could significantly complicate Moscow’s ability to respond to battlefield demands.

If attacks remain limited to the Kursk region, Russia could move command centers and air units to nearby areas, reducing the impact of logistical challenges. This also means that many of the cherished targets that Ukrainian officials have expressed a desire to hit are still out of reach.

In either case, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Charlie Dietz stated that ATACMS would not be a response to the main threat Ukraine faces from Russian-dropped glider bombs fired from a distance of more than 300 km, beyond the reach of ATACMS.

What are the key questions that remain?

In addition to being unclear what restrictions the US will impose on the use of weapons, it is also unknown how much the US will give to Ukraine.

Although the United States has provided ATACMS to Ukraine in various military aid packages, the Department of Defense will not disclose how many were sent or exactly how many of these missiles the Pentagon owns. Estimates put the US number in the low thousands.

Recent American elections raise questions about how long this policy will remain in effect. Trump has repeatedly criticized the Biden administration’s spending to support Ukraine and could reverse moves like this.

On the other hand, it is unclear whether other allies will take action: The decision could encourage Britain and France to allow Ukraine to use 250 km-range Storm Shadow missiles, also known as SCALP missiles.