Hungary is ramping up its air defense in the northeastern region near the Ukraine border, following the United States' decision to allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory with long-range missiles.
In a Facebook video, Hungarian Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky explained the decision, stating, "The Russian-Ukrainian war is expanding more than ever, and we are now in its most dangerous phase."
The minister attributed the move to Western powers permitting Ukraine to target Russian territories with long-range weapons. In response, he claimed that Russia has adjusted its nuclear doctrine accordingly.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently approved updates to Russia's nuclear policy, which now emphasizes the right to use nuclear weapons in response to weapons of mass destruction targeting Russia or its allies, or in the event of conventional attacks on Russia or Belarus.
“To prepare for any scenario, I have ordered the deployment of our recently acquired air control and air defense systems in the northeast,” Szalay-Bobrovniczky added after a Defense Council meeting led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
On November 19, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Brian A. Nichols confirmed that the White House had authorized Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike Russian territory.
Ukraine’s Defense Forces have reportedly already used U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles for their first-ever strike on a military target within Russian borders.
Further reports on November 20 hinted that the United States may have also approved Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow missiles, developed in collaboration with the United Kingdom, for strikes on Russian soil.
