On April 30, 2024, an employee of the prosecutor’s office in Kharkiv, Ukraine, collected fragments of an aerial bomb for further analysis.
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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned the United States on Monday that allowing Kiev to deploy U.S.-provided weapons against targets in Russia could have “fatal consequences.”
Ryabkov said: “I would like to warn American leaders not to make miscalculations that could have fatal consequences. For some unknown reason, they underestimated the seriousness of a possible rejection.” Russian state news agency TASS commented.
He pointed out that Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken about this topic many times and issued “a very important warning that must be taken seriously with the most serious attitude.”
Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the White House had approved a request from Ukraine to deploy U.S.-provided weapons against targets on Russian territory near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. The purpose of authorizing this use is the defense of Kharkov.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city just 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Russia, faces a brutal and intensifying offensive every day, including multiple airstrikes.
“Our engagement and support to Ukraine for more than two years has been characterized by making the necessary adjustments and adjustments to the actual situation on the battlefield to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs when it needs it. Doing so intentionally and effectively is exactly what we Made in response to what is currently being seen in the Kharkiv region and its surrounding areas. at a press conference.
“Over the past few weeks, Ukraine has come to us asking for authorization to use the weapons we provide to defend against this aggression, including against Russian forces massing on the Russian side of the border and then attacking Ukraine.” This was submitted directly to the (U.S.) president, as What you heard, he approved the use of our weapons for this purpose.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the U.S. concession at a news conference in Sweden last week.
“I think, in any case, this is a step towards the goal that we have discussed before: making it possible for us to protect people living in villages through the border, and that’s it. That’s it today,” He said.
The softening of Washington’s stance led Germany to also authorize Ukraine to use long-range weapons provided by major European economies to strike some targets in Russia. Associated Press report. Germany also specifically allowed this use for the defense of Kharkov.
During a full-scale invasion by Moscow, the United States and European allies provided military support and weapons arsenals to Kyiv to defend itself while also refraining from directly supporting the deployment of weapons to Russian territory—which could trigger retaliation from Moscow and escalate the conflict.
Western countries have also shied away from formally deploying NATO troops in Ukraine unless French President Emmanuel Macron makes a separate comment — and latest signal Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said countries should not rule out the possibility.
Russia is widely believed to have used Iranian-made Shahd drones in its hostilities against Ukraine. Tehran said it did not provide weapons for this purpose.
The change in stance on the deployment of Western weapons on Russian soil has raised questions about whether F-16 fighter jets expected to be deployed soon in Ukraine will also be allowed to carry out attacks on Russian territory.
“I’m not sure if today it will be possible for us to use these aircraft on Russian territory, we’ll see. We start talking about this and I think the use of any weapons, Western type weapons, on Russian territory… it’s a matter of time “I think so,” Zelensky said last week, saying he believed Russian forces could continue to use offensives from border positions. “That way they can attack and we can’t.”
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