Ukrainian forces have launched a campaign to destroy military targets in Russia using German-made Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzers.
Precision Strikes in Belgorod Region
Ukrainian reconnaissance drones have captured footage showing the PzH 2000 hitting Russian artillery and advancing units in the Belgorod region. The German newspaper "Bild," citing correspondent Björn Stitzel on the Kharkiv front line near the Russian border, confirmed these strikes.
Since 2022, Ukraine has been deploying some Western weapon systems against Russian targets.
However, their widespread use began only in recent weeks, following official approval from the United States and subsequently other NATO members in Europe.
US Greenlights Attacks with American Weapons
In late May, US President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use American weapons against military targets in Russia, with the stipulation that this applies only to the Kharkiv region.
This approval does not include the ATACMS missiles, which have a range of up to 300 km.
John Kirby, spokesperson for the US National Security Council, stated that Ukraine is permitted to shoot down Russian combat aircraft over Russian territory using American air defense systems.
He emphasized that there have never been restrictions on this front.
However, Kirby also noted that the US cannot continuously monitor how Ukraine uses American weapons, making it uncertain whether Ukrainian forces have already employed them for attacks on Russian targets.
Yesterday, the Pentagon confirmed that Ukraine could use US-supplied weapons to strike any location across the Russian border.
Putin Threatens Retaliation Against NATO Members
The list of countries supporting Ukraine's attacks on Russian military targets with supplied weapons includes the USA, Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Canada, and Denmark.
In a speech following his visit to Uzbekistan, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned these NATO countries, particularly those in Europe, about the consequences of their support.
“These NATO representatives, especially in Europe, need to realize what they are playing with. They must remember that these are generally small countries with high population densities. They should keep this in mind before talking about strikes deep into Russian territory,” Putin stated.
