Ukraine can use ATACMS missiles to strike targets in Russia - Pentagon
The United States has authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS long-range ballistic missiles to strike targets in Russia.
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said this at a briefing, Censor.NET reports.
He emphasized that Ukraine could use ATACMS to "protect its nation".
As the White House emphasized yesterday, there has been a change in policy, and Ukrainians can use ATACMS to protect their nation. The attacks are focused right now, certainly in the Kursk region. I'll let the Ukrainians talk about their operations in terms of their targets and their operations, I'm just not going to get ahead of them on that," the Pentagon spokesman said.
As a reminder, on November 25, White House adviser John Kirby said that Ukraine had used ATACAMS ballistic missiles provided by the United States to strike targets in Russia's Kursk region.
ATACMS strikes in Russia
On 25 November, Russian media reported that ATACMS missiles destroyed an air defence system in Kursk region, killing four Russian soldiers.
OSINT analysts claim that the Ukrainian Defence Forces have struck a military airfield in the Kursk region with US long-range ATACMS ballistic missiles.
The White House said the United States had changed its guidance to Ukraine and allowed the Ukrainian Armed Forces to use US ATACMS ballistic missiles to hit targets in the Kursk region of Russia.
Authorization for strikes on Russian territory
As a reminder, current US President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to launch long-range ATACMS missiles at Russian territory.
CNN noted that Biden's authorization to fire long-range missiles at Russia would complicate Trump's plans for a truce.
Axios writes that Biden's lifting of restrictions on long-range strikes applies only to the Kursk region of Russia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Ukraine's use of long-range ATACMS missiles to attack Russian territory would mean "direct participation of the United States and its satellites in hostilities against Russia."
On 19 November, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that the United States had authorised Ukraine to strike Russian territory with ATACMS ballistic missiles. However, he refused to confirm or deny the attack on the Bryansk region of Russia.
