U.S. Loosens Restrictions on Ukraine’s Use of Long-Range Missiles in Strikes Against Russia
WASHINGTON – The United States has recently eased restrictions on Ukraine’s ability to use certain long-range missiles for attacks within Russia, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal. The move, confirmed by unnamed American officials, is intended to allow kyiv to intensify pressure on the Kremlin and target key military infrastructure. The Pentagon has not yet commented on the reports.
The decision specifically concerns the Storm Shadow missiles, supplied by Britain and France, which are launched from Ukrainian aircraft and have a range of approximately 290 kilometers (180 miles). While Ukraine has previously employed these missiles in attacks on Russian territory, the revised policy allows for a potential expansion of these operations. Ukrainian forces have also been utilizing domestically produced drones for strikes inside Russia.
The U.S. previously maintained a degree of control over the use of these weapons due to their reliance on American data for target acquisition. Near the end of his presidency, Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use both Storm Shadow and ATACMS missiles against targets in Russia.
following donald Trump’s return to the White House in January, the Pentagon implemented a process requiring authorization from the U.S. Defense Secretary, Pete hegseth, for any cross-border strikes utilizing U.S.-supplied or U.S.-data-reliant weaponry. No such strikes were approved until recently, when authority was delegated to U.S. Forces Europe Command, under the leadership of general Alexus gtrhewich, according to the Wall Street Journal’s sources.
While the renewed authorization for Storm shadow use isn’t expected to dramatically alter the battlefield dynamic – the missiles have a shorter range than U.S.Tomahawk missiles – it provides Ukraine with increased flexibility in targeting Russian assets.
Recent reports indicate the Ukrainian military directly acknowledged the use of Storm Shadow missiles in a prosperous attack on a key chemical plant in Russia’s Bryansk region, responsible for the production of explosives and rocket fuel, reportedly penetrating Russian air defenses.
(ČTK)
