U.S. position on strikes against Russia unchanged after Ukraine received F-16s - State Dept

The U.S. Department of State has commented on the possibility of extending the permission for Ukraine to launch deep strikes inside Russia using Western weapons after Kyiv received the first F-16 fighter jets, saying that this will depend on the battlefield situation.

State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said this at a briefing on Monday, August 5, Ukrinform reports, citing Voice of America.

"My answer has not changed today, which is we constantly look at the needs of the Ukrainian military, we assess the security situation, and we try to be responsive to their needs. And that is a process that we have undergone from the beginning, and we make that process both – or we make those determinations both when it comes to these specific weapons that we provide Ukraine and the restrictions, if any, that we put on the use of those weapons," Miller said.

However, he did not give a clear answer regarding the expansion of the opportunities of Ukraine's partners, including NATO countries, to shoot down Russian missiles over Ukraine.

"That is […] a decision that NATO would reach collectively. It's not something I can speak to from here," Miller said.

During the Ukrainian Air Force Day celebrations on August 4, President Volodymyr Zelensky presented F-16 fighter jets in Ukrainian skies, emphasizing the beginning of a new stage in the development of the Ukrainian Air Force.