U.S. reluctant to allow Ukraine to use ATACMS inside Kursk region - CNN

That is according to CNN, which refers to officials in the U.S. administration, Ukrinform reports.

The reason for such unwillingness is not because of the risk of escalation, but because the U.S. only has a limited supply of the long-range missiles.

Some officials also raised concerns that Ukraine, which one western official said has sent some of its more experienced forces into Kursk, may have created weaknesses along its own frontlines that Russia may be able to exploit to gain more ground inside Ukraine.

"It's impressive from a military point of view," the official said of the Kursk operation. But Ukraine is "committing pretty experienced troops to this and they can't afford to lose those troops."

Russia appears to have diverted several thousand troops from occupied territory inside Ukraine to counter a surprisingly successful Ukrainian offensive inside Russian borders in a move that potentially weakens Moscow's war effort, according to two senior U.S. officials.

The development has drawn American attention and US officials are now working to determine precisely how many troops Russia is moving, but sources said multiple brigade-sized elements made up of at least 1,000 troops each appeared to have shifted to the Kursk region, where Ukraine launched an operation last week.

The Russian troop movements away from Ukraine "doesn't mean that Mr. Putin has given up military operations in the northeast part of Ukraine or even down towards the south, towards places like Zaporizhzhia," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said. "There's still active fighting along that front."

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