The Ukrainian army has increasingly used U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to target Russian airfields and warships deep inside Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory, but it has been barred by Washington from extending its attacks into Russia proper, limiting its ability to repel enemy assaults.
In the past week, Kyiv’s forces launched three attacks using Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS.
Ukraine hopes that the strikes, by hurting Moscow’s ability to conduct military operations, will ultimately help relieve troops struggling to contain Russian advances on the ground.
But the United States and other Western allies have permitted only the firing of Western weapons into Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine, not into Russia itself, for fear of escalating the war.
Ukrainian officials have complained that the policy allows Moscow to launch attacks from inside Russia without risk and handcuffs Ukraine’s ability to repel them.
Persons:
”, Volodymyr Zelensky
Organizations:
Army Tactical Missile Systems, The New York Times
Locations:
U.S, Washington, Russia, Ukraine’s, Ukraine, United States, Moscow