U.S. should allow Ukraine to strike military targets in Russia's operational and deep rear - ISW

This is said in a report by the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), according to Ukrinform.

As noted, the current lack of clarity about U.S. restrictions on Ukraine's use of U.S.-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russian territory misses an opportunity to deter further Russian offensive efforts across the border into northern Ukraine.

National Security Council Director for Europe Michael Carpenter said that the U.S. policy allowing Ukrainian forces to strike certain Russian military targets in Russia applies only to the Kharkiv region. at the same time,

At the same time, Politico reported that the Biden administration had quietly given Ukraine permission to strike inside Russia, solely near the area of Kharkiv, using U.S.-provided weapons.

Analysts believe that Carpenter's comments and the Politico report together suggest there is ambiguity on what the U.S. has explicitly authorized regarding these strikes amid signaling that the U.S. is open to expanding these authorizations to other areas in Ukraine should Russian forces launch offensive operations elsewhere along the international border area.

The report says that the increased likelihood of other Russian offensive operations in northern Ukraine would require Ukrainian forces to reallocate existing resources to deter or defend against the offensive operations, creating opportunities for Russian forces elsewhere in the theater to exploit.

U.S. clarity that Ukraine can use U.S.-provided weapons against Russian ground forces concentrations in Russia that appear to be preparing for imminent cross-border operations would likely change Russian commanders' calculations about the wisdom of making such ostentatious preparations, ISW noted.

“ISW continues to assess that the U.S. should allow Ukraine to strike all legitimate military targets in Russia’s operational and deep rear with US-provided weapons,” analysts summarized.

As reported, on May 31, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that U.S. President Joe Biden had allowed Ukraine to strike military targets in Russia to protect Kharkiv.

Photo: AFU General Staff