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According to Ukrainian and US lawmakers, Ukraine has officially used US weapons to target Russian military locations within Russia.
Footage shared on Russian social media platforms purportedly shows the aftermath of a HIMARS strike in Russia’s Belgorod region, close to the Ukrainian border. The strikes targeted Russian logistics and artillery. This marks the first instance of such an action since the Biden administration granted permission for these strikes last week.
Ukrainian parliament member Yehor Cherniev confirmed the attacks. He said, “We have already achieved some success and forced the Russians to stop shelling the city. Also, thanks to the HIMARS strikes, we managed to reduce the offensive potential of Russian troops in this area.” Cherniev said that while Ukraine welcomes the United States’ new policy on striking Russia, they still hope to get permission to deploy ATACMS missiles against Russian military airfields.
This all comes after the Biden administration’s policy change last week, which permitted Ukraine to carry out these strikes from Kharkiv. This permission, however, is limited; Ukraine is not allowed to use long-range artillery or the US-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to target Russian territory extensively or hit civilian infrastructure.
Senator Mike Rounds, who is considered a key US lawmaker in moving aid to Ukraine, has voiced support for the US to allow Ukraine to do more with US-provided weapons. In a recent interview, he said, “I have no problem with Ukraine using the ATACMS and so forth and all the artillery that we got to be able to take them out before they cause more harm in Ukraine.”