Biden Approves Use of U.S. Weapons for Ukrainian Strikes Inside Russia

The Biden administration has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-made weapons for strikes within Russia, targeting military sites involved in attacks on Kharkiv, senior American officials announced yesterday.

This decision comes after weeks of discussions following Russia's major assault on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. U.S. approval is limited to strikes on Russian military locations directly contributing to the offensive against Kharkiv.

Russian forces have been bombarding the Kharkiv region with artillery and missiles launched from within Russia, prompting Ukrainian requests for greater operational flexibility from the U.S., according to an American official.

NATO leaders, along with France and Germany, had recently encouraged the U.S. to take this step. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also backed the move during internal discussions within the administration.