Press
Ukraine has pushed back Putin’s troops near Kharkiv. This was possible thanks to the use of US weapons. But Ukrainian commanders want more.
Kharkiv – The USA has recently allowed Ukraine to penetrate further into Russian territory with US weapons. This has slowed down the Russian military in the Ukraine war and caused Putin’s troops heavy losses: Ukraine was able to advance and reclaim territory. But the country’s commanders are demanding more: They also want to be allowed to use ATACMS missiles to attack Russia’s infrastructure.
From the first days after the US permission, the Ukrainian armed forces succeeded in repelling Russian troops along the border of the Ukraine war, who had been waiting there for the order to invade. This is reported by the Associated Press (AP) based on a quote from an artillery commander from the Kharkiv region. “The HIMARS did not stand still all day,” he says. “Before, we could not attack them. It was quite complicated. All the depots with ammunition and other resources were 20 kilometers out of our reach.”
Heavy losses for Russia in Ukraine war: Kiev hopes for ATAMCS deployment
Now, however, military commanders are also demanding that the US lift range restrictions on long-range missiles, reports AP. Without the ability to deploy long-range missiles such as ATACMS, they would feel powerless. “We could attack brigade command posts and the entire northern grouping, as they are 100 to 150 kilometers from the front,” said Hefastus. This is not possible with “normal” ammunition.
The United States recently allowed Ukraine to use American weapons on Russian territory with a range that extended to the troops stationed there. This extension came after the United States had previously allowed Ukraine for the first time to use US weapons to defend the Kharkiv region on Russian territory.
ATACMS attack in the Ukraine war: Use on targets in Russia prohibited – “seems absurd”
The new freedom of fire has slowed the Russian advance considerably, APUkrainian troops were able to advance along the northeastern border and recapture areas southwest of Vovchansk. However, the restriction prohibiting the use of ATACMS missiles in Russian territory has not been lifted, writes AP and refers to three anonymous US officials.
This is causing discontent in Ukraine: “It seems quite absurd when the enemy is so actively advancing on our territory and attacking Ukrainian territory with missiles of all types and calibers, and we cannot strike back on enemy territory where they store logistics and supplies,” quotes AP Lys Mykyta, commander of a drone company of the 103rd Territorial Defense Brigade.
ATACMS attack in Crimea: Russia blames the US for losses in the Ukraine war
The deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on national security, Yehor Cherniev, had already criticized the rules on the use of ATACMS at the beginning of June and asked the allies to lift the restrictions on the use of long-range missiles: “Unfortunately, for example, we still cannot reach airfields and their aircraft.” Cherniev expects, however, that the decision on the approval of ATACMS will also be closely linked to the development of the fighting on the ground.
For the US, the decision between supporting Ukraine and avoiding provocation of Russia is a balancing act. For example, after the Ukrainian missile attack on the port city of Sevastopol on the territory of Ukraine, which has been annexed by Russia since 2014, the Kremlin Crimea Consequences threatened.
“It is clear that the direct involvement of the United States in hostilities resulting in the deaths of Russian civilians cannot remain without consequences,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the state news agency on Monday. Cup Moscow knows exactly who is behind the “barbaric attack”. It is not the Ukrainians who are controlling such technically complex missiles, it was said.
Putin threatens the US with arms deliveries to North Korea because of losses in the Ukraine war
He did not want to mention any concrete consequences for the USA. Time will tell, said Peskov, referring to statements by President Wladimir Putin during his trip to Asia last week. There, the Kremlin chief threatened to respond to Western arms deliveries to Ukraine by passing on Russian weapons and technology to forces hostile to the West. He made the statement against the backdrop of his trip to North Korea, where rulers Kim Jong Un developed nuclear weapons.
Because of the ATAMCS missile attack that injured 150 people, the Russian Foreign Ministry also summoned the US ambassador in Moscow, Lynne Tracy. Washington bears responsibility for these acts, just like Ukraine, not only because of its arms deliveries to Kiev, but also because US specialists are controlling these missiles, it said in an official statement. (dpa)
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