It is a decision that could have a capital importance in the balance of power between Ukraine and Russia: Joe Biden and his administration have given authorization to Ukraine to strike Russian territory with long-range missiles provided by the United States. A US official made the announcement on Sunday.
The United States “has given the green light to the use of long-range missiles,” said this official, speaking on condition of anonymity, Joe Biden thus acceding to a long-standing request from kyiv shortly before his departure from the White House and the return of Donald Trump, very critical of American aid to Ukraine.
Authorized use after the deployment of North Korean soldiers
The United States refused this decision for fear of an escalation with Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that such a decision would mean that “the NATO countries are at war with Russia”.
The missiles should initially be used in the Russian border region of Kursk, where North Korean soldiers have been deployed in support of Russian troops, according to the New York Times, which cites American officials speaking on condition of anonymity. .
Zelensky cautious Sunday
President Zelensky mentioned this information during his daily address on Sunday evening, without confirming it directly. Recalling the importance of his army's “long-range capability”, he noted that “today, many media outlets are reporting that we have received authorization to take appropriate measures.”
“But strikes are not carried out using words. Things like this are not announced,” Volodymyr Zelensky continued. “The missiles will speak for themselves.”
A response to the Russian attack on the energy grid?
During the night from Saturday to Sunday, the Ukrainian energy network faced one of the most significant Russian attacks in recent months, with strikes in three several regions of the country, killing 10 people.
It was a “hellish night,” said Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ignat, according to whom anti-aircraft defenses shot down 144 of these targets. The Russian Defense Ministry, for its part, claimed to have hit “all” of its targets during a massive attack against “essential energy infrastructure”.
Ukrainian energy operator DTEK said some of its thermal power plants were “seriously damaged” on Sunday. Power outages affected the kyiv region as well as several areas in the west, south and east, such as Odessa and Dnipropetrovsk.
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