Just days before this announcement, Russian President Vladimir Putin had threatened to expand the 'sanitary zone' if Western long-range weapons were used to attack Russian territory.
He said it was important to remember that NATO countries in Europe have “small territories and densely populated countries.”
“They should consider this factor before discussing an attack deep into Russian territory,” he added.
The reason the United States did not include long-range weapons such as ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) in its authorization to attack Russia is likely to avoid escalation. The missile has a range of 300 km and can be used to hit military bases and airfields within Russian territory.
These restrictions leave Ukraine with only the option of focusing on targets near its borders. But this is still a major policy change for Kiev's key allies.
Even with a shorter range (up to 70 km), multiple rocket launchers like HIMARS could significantly disrupt Russian logistics operations and troop movements, which could ultimately delay any offensive plans.
Now Ukraine “can attack places where enemy forces, equipment and storage facilities for supplies used to attack Ukraine are concentrated,” says Yuriy Povkh of the Kharkiv Tactical Group, which coordinates military operations in the northeast.
Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia would mass troops just 90km from Kharkiv for another offensive.
And as a result of analyzing satellite images, the War Research Institute confirmed that 'warehouses and warehouse activities have expanded' in the area. The ability to target those facilities would therefore seriously strengthen the Ukrainian military's ability to repel new attacks in the region.
But lifting the ban on Western weapons will not help protect Ukraine from Russian glide bombs, known locally as KABs. They have a devastating effect and are regularly used to bomb Kharkiv and other border towns. But to prevent such attacks, Ukrainian forces must target the planes that drop the lethal KABs.