Biden Administration Allows Ukraine to Strike Russian Military Facility with U.S.-made Artillery System

Following the recent authorization from the Biden administration for Ukraine to use American weapons to attack Russia, Ukrainian forces have reportedly taken advantage of this new permission. Yehor Chernev, the deputy chairman of the Ukrainian Parliament’s committee on national security, defense, and intelligence, revealed that Ukraine targeted a military facility in the Belgorod region, located approximately 20 miles inside Russia, using a U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). This marks the first public acknowledgement by a Ukrainian official of the use of American weaponry to launch an attack on Russian territory since the ban was lifted by President Biden.

Details of the Attack

According to Yehor Chernev, the strike by Ukrainian forces resulted in the destruction of Russian missile launchers, specifically S-300 and S-400 systems. Notably, these systems, originally designed to target aircraft, had been utilized by Russia to launch attacks on the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, which is in close proximity to the Belgorod region.

Restrictions and Response

While the United States had placed limitations on the use of American weapons, permitting their deployment only in Russian territory near northeastern Ukraine for defensive purposes, the Ukrainian military did not immediately provide a response to the reports of the attack.