US President Joe Biden has given Ukraine permission to use US-supplied weapons to strike targets in Russia, but only near the Kharkiv region, US media are quoting officials as saying.
“The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use US weapons for counter-fire purposes in Kharkiv so Ukraine can hit back at Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them,” the Politico website quoted one unnamed US official as saying.
While the US policy of not allowing long-range strikes inside Russia has not changed, according to reports, Moscow will likely view the latest measure as an escalation.
Russian forces have made a number of small gains in the Kharkiv region in recent weeks following a surprise offensive in the area, situated on the border with Russia.