According to sources cited by The New York Times (NYT), the first strikes could begin in the next few hours or days. American officials have stated that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has already given his approval.
The decision to revise the policy on American weapons was reportedly prompted by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Kyiv, according to NYT. The newspaper also mentioned that Biden first allowed the policy change on May 15th, with the final decision being made last week.
The publication highlights that by authorizing strikes on Russia, Biden has "crossed the red line he himself drew." The Pentagon will provide recommendations to Ukraine regarding strikes on Russia.
The U.S. Department of Defense reported that Biden recently instructed his team to enable Ukraine to use American weapons for counter-battery operations in the Kharkiv region. As a result, Ukraine will be able to launch retaliatory strikes on Russian forces that are attacking or preparing to attack them.
However, the Pentagon emphasized that the U.S. policy regarding the ban on using long-range ATACMS ballistic missiles for "strikes over long distances within Russia" remains unchanged.
Nevertheless, an NYT source suggested that further restrictions on the use of American weapons may be relaxed in the future. Another source added that the U.S. Ministry of Defense was instructed to provide precise recommendations to Kyiv on which targets in Russia could be hit.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's press secretary, Serhiy Nikiforov, clarified that the U.S. authorities have approved the use of HIMARS missile systems for strikes on Russian forces. He stated that this would significantly enhance the Ukrainian army's ability to resist Russia's offensive.
Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov claimed that Ukraine is already attempting to strike Russian territory with American weapons. The press secretary of the Russian leader pointed out that this information is sufficient for Moscow to understand the extent of U.S. involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
Vasily Dandikin, a military expert and retired captain, emphasized that Russia is prepared to repel strikes by American missiles into their territory. He also noted that Western weapons have been hitting the Belgorod region for a long time, albeit not with ATACMS missiles, but with Czech weapons. Dandikin stated that Russia has successfully intercepted and destroyed the majority of these missiles using their air defense systems. He speculated that the main targets of the American strikes would be Sevastopol, Crimea, and the Crimean Bridge. However, he concluded that Ukraine's strikes will not go unanswered.
