Debris covered a street and firefighters rushed to rescue people from an apartment block hit by a Russian missile early Friday in the city of Kharkiv, just hours after U.S. officials disclosed a shift in policy allowing Ukraine to defend against such attacks by hitting targets in Russia with American-provided weaponry.
The shift is narrow in scope, granting Ukraine permission to use American air defense systems, guided rockets and artillery to fire into Russia only along Ukraine’s northeastern border, near Kharkiv.
But hitting targets with American weapons inside Russia had been a red line drawn by the Biden administration because of worries about escalation before the cross-border fighting began near Kharkiv.
Russia has been launching missiles and gathering forces in the safety of its own territory, out of range of Ukraine’s Soviet-era weaponry.
Indeed, in granting permission, U.S. officials said the weapons should only be used in self-defense in the border region.
Persons:
Biden
Locations:
Russian, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russia, American, Kharkiv .