Hesitation to authorize strikes deep inside Russian territory costs civilian lives — Ukrainian DM

The critical time was lost due to hesitation on supply and ban liftings, he said.

When questioned about the prospects of ending the war, Umerov affirmed that Ukraine is “capable to win.”

“We are voicing out that we need more weapons,” he said.

“Hesitation to provide us with weapons, hesitation to provide us permissions, and lifting bans take time. Time is crucial, but we are able and capable of doing it.”

Authorization to use American weaponry to strike deep into Russia would help protect Ukrainians and civilian objects, Umerov said. Such actions would not escalate the conflict further, given Russia’s existing escalations.

“They strike hospitals, they strike civilian infrastructure,” he said.

“We want to protect people. We want to strike only military targets. That’s why we want functional decisions to protect our cities. They are hitting out cities, hitting our critically important national infrastructure, and killing people.”

Umerov underscored Ukraine’s urgent need for enhanced air defense systems and weaponry to ensure the safety of its people.

Use of Western weapons to strike Russian soil

Despite the use of Western arms, the U.S. has expressed a specific stance on the matter. White House spokesperson John Kirby emphasized on May 17 that the U.S. does not encourage Ukraine to use American weapons to strike Russian territory, stating that foreign weapons should be used to reclaim Ukraine’s sovereign territory, specifically within its borders.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a May 21 interview with The New York Times, revealed he had sought U.S. permission to use American missiles and other weapons against military targets in Russia. Subsequent reports by AFP on May 29 cited anonymous sources stating Ukraine had already used Western weapons for strikes on Russian territory multiple times.

In a significant development reported by The New York Times on May 31, President Joe Biden permitted Ukraine to carry out limited strikes on Russian territory with American-made weapons, a decision influenced by pressure from his advisors and key allies. On the same day, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed this approval, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius authorized Ukraine to use German-made weapons for strikes on Russian territory, albeit only in areas close to the border.

The approval’s immediate impact was seen when Ukrainian forces attacked the Russian city of Belgorod using HIMARS, a U.S.-supplied multiple rocket launcher, just hours after the White House’s approval, as reported by Forbes on June 2.

Ukraine can shoot down Russian fighter jets in the Russian airspace with German Patriot air defense systems, German Major General Christian Freuding, head of the Bundeswehr’s Situation Center Ukraine, said on June 3.

Ukraine could use American weapons to strike any Russian forces attacking across the border, not just those in Kharkiv Oblast, the US announced on June 21.

The US allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory at a distance of less than 100 km from the border, The Washington Post reported. This does not give an opportunity to hit the key airfields used to host planes dropping aerial bombs on Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United States to allow Ukraine to launch ATACMS strikes on Russian airfields on June 30.

The US will reduce restrictions on the use of its weapons by Ukraine to strike targets in Russia if the aggressor country tries to expand the current front, the US Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs James O’Brien said on July 2.

Decisions on permitting Ukraine to use Western weapons for strikes on Russian airfields are already being prepared, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, said on July 4.

Ukraine wants to increase pressure on the Biden administration at the NATO summit to lift all restrictions on strikes by American weapons on Russian territory, Presidential Office head, Andriy Yermak, said on July 10.

The UK allowed the use of Storm Shadow missiles to strike military targets on Russian territory, Zelenskyy said on the same day.