Ukraine could strike troops, air bases and logistics hubs inside Russia after Joe Biden authorised American weapons to be fired across the border.
The partial lifting of the ban on firing US-supplied weapons into Russia, which applies only to the defence of Kharkiv and does not change a ban on long-range deep strikes further inside Russia, comes nearly a month into the Kremlin’s cross-border offensive.
Ukraine was unable to break up Russian troops’ concentrations or conduct effective counter-battery fire when the attack on Kharkiv began on May 10 because, unlike most other Russian offensives over the past two years, it was launched from across the border.
The American move followed a plea from Jens Stoltenberg, Nato’s secretary general, and after key European allies including Britain, France, Germany and Sweden partially or fully lifted their own restrictions on firing donated weapons into Russia.
British, European and Ukrainian sources said the rapid change in the rules was directly related to the Kharkiv offensive.
Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute of Strategic Studies, said: “The attack will have been supported by artillery and rocket launchers inside Russia.
“So not being able to engage with western supplied long-range weapons, things like GMLRS [Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System] and Atacms make it much more difficult to deal with those targets. It’s really simple.”