There are no restrictions on Ukraine's use of US-provided air defenses to shoot down Russian missiles or fighter jets over Russian territory "if they pose a threat to Ukraine."
US has changed its view on use of American-made air defence for strikes over Russia
About three weeks ago, shortly after Russia launched its offensive on Kharkiv, Ukraine asked the United States to ease long-term restrictions on the use of US-provided weapons against targets in Russia.
Some senior officials support such a move, including Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who urged President Biden to agree to lift the restrictions. The White House is considering such a proposal, but no action has yet been taken, officials said.
At a May 29 press conference in Moldova, Blinken said the United States "has not encouraged or permitted strikes outside of Ukraine, but Ukraine, as I've said before, must make its own decisions about the best way to defend itself effectively."
Blinken added that the United States has "adapted and adapted" to changing conditions on the battlefield and that as Russia pursues new tactics of "aggression" and "escalation," he is "certain we will continue to do so."
There is no restriction on Ukraine using U.S.-supplied air defenses to shoot down Russian missiles or fighter jets over Russian territory "if they pose a threat to Ukraine," the U.S. official said.
But US officials have previously expressed concern to Ukrainian officials about Kyiv's attacks on Russian territory, sometimes even intervening in the planning stages. On the eve of the one-year mark of the war, the DIU was planning attacks on Moscow, according to a leaked classified report from the US National Security Agency, which two senior Ukrainian military officials later confirmed.
In the days before the attack, US officials asked Kyiv to cancel its plans, fearing that it could provoke an aggressive response from the Kremlin; the Ukrainians complied with the requirements, according to documents released by the US and senior Ukrainian officials.
In the latest example, Washington took exception to Ukrainian drones targeting oil refineries in Russia. According to officials familiar with the matter, this request came directly from Vice President Harris to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Munich Security Conference in February. US officials believed the strikes would raise global energy prices and prompt more aggressive Russian retaliation in Ukraine.
Amid concerns about Russian advances on the battlefield, Washington is facing pressure from NATO and several key European allies to allow Ukraine to use the full power and range of US-provided weapons.
If you can't attack Russian forces from the other side of the front line because they are on the other side of the border, then of course you are really reducing the ability of Ukrainian forces to defend themselves, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. said a senior political official of the alliance during a visit to Bulgaria on May 27.
The US was alarmed by attacks by Ukrainian drones on Russian nuclear radars
Washington has warned Kyiv regarding two recent attacks on radar stations that provide the enemy's air defence. At least one strike in Armavir, in southeastern Russia's Krasnodar region, likely caused some damage.
The Washington Post reported regarding its sources.
These facilities were not involved in supporting Russia's war against Ukraine. But these are sensitive areas, as Russia may feel its strategic deterrence potential has been targeted, which could undermine Russia's ability to maintain nuclear deterrence against the US, the sources said.
However, in Ukraine, it is said that Russia used radar points to monitor the activities of the Ukrainian military, in particular, the use of aerial weapons, including drones and missiles, by Kyiv.
A Ukrainian source said that the aim of the strikes was to reduce Russia's ability to monitor the actions of the Ukrainian military in the south.
American officials have said they "sympathise with Ukraine's plight." Still, if Russian nuclear early warning systems are blindsided by Ukrainian attacks, even partially, it could harm strategic stability between Washington and Moscow.
It should be clear to everyone that the United States has no intention of using nuclear weapons against Russia. But there are certainly concerns about how Russia might perceive its deterrents becoming targets and early warning systems under attack, the source added.
