US President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use American-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia, but only near the Kharkiv region, according to US officials. This decision is intended to allow Ukraine to “hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them,” as stated by one official to BBC News. This comes in response to recent Russian gains in the Kharkiv region, following a surprise offensive near the Russia-Ukraine border.
On Friday, Ukrainian authorities reported that Russian shelling of a residential building in a Kharkiv suburb resulted in three deaths and 16 injuries. The US official clarified that the policy prohibiting the use of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) or long-range strikes within Russia has not changed. However, Ukraine is not restricted from shooting down Russian aircraft attacking from Russian soil.
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The White House and State Department have not provided immediate comments. The UK and several European leaders have recently suggested easing restrictions on how Ukraine can use Western-supplied weapons, despite concerns about escalating the conflict. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted at this policy shift during a visit to Moldova, indicating that the US would continue to adapt its strategy as necessary.
Russian forces have been taking advantage of the delay in Western weapon supplies to Ukraine, making significant advances in Kharkiv. Last week, a Russian attack on a Kharkiv supermarket with glide bombs killed at least 12 people and wounded many others. On Friday, Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that Russian shelling hit a five-story apartment block in the Novobavarskyi District, killing at least three people and injuring 16, including two children. Syniehubov accused Russian forces of targeting civilian infrastructure and employing a “double-strike tactic” by hitting the site again after rescue workers arrived.
