Ukraine begins hitting Russia with US weapons as northern front 'stabilized'

Ukraine has begun striking targets in Russia with U.S. weapons, including Himars rockets, according to sources on both sides and open source investigators, after the White House granted it permission to do so last week .

Bombing of kyiv using US weapons systems destroyed a Russian base, including an Iskander missile launcher, in the Belgorod border region, Ukrainian military bloggers reported Sunday evening.

Local Russian authorities said the attack hit a market in the town of Shebekino. Six people were injured in the incident, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.

Russian military blogger Two Majors reported “the use of Himars rockets, including on the border territory of the Belgorod region,” saying the barrage hit gas stations and power lines.

Brady Africk, a satellite imagery analyst at the American Enterprise Institute think tank in Washington, geolocated a burning warehouse “within 15 kilometers of the front line in Kharkiv,” matching the location of the attack reported to Shebekino.

Independent, open-source investigators have identified fragments of Himars munitions in the wreckage of strikes in Belgorod this weekend.

The Ukrainian military has not officially commented on this information.

The United States supplied Ukraine with dozens of Himars rocket launcher systems throughout the war, capable of firing unitary shells and cluster munitions with a typical range of about 50 miles. The system can also fire ATACMS rockets with a range of nearly 200 miles, which Washington has also supplied, although in relatively small numbers.

The Biden administration last week reversed a longstanding policy of not allowing Ukraine to use its weapons to strike targets in Russia, which had been put in place to manage escalation risks.

This policy shift came in part in response to Ukrainian complaints that Russia was using resources within its borders to strike Ukraine with impunity, including as part of the ongoing assault on the northern region. east of Kharkiv, south of Belgorod.

The United States said the change was limited to the Kharkiv-Belgorod region, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday the policy was under review and could “adapt and adjust » depending on the evolution of the battlefield.

The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Finland, Denmark and several other countries have also authorized Ukraine to use the military aid they provide to kyiv to strike targets in Russia.

The Ukrainian military said the Russian ground offensive around Kharkiv had slowed, with “no active enemy attacks” in the area on Monday.

Ukrainian soldiers in the area said Independent from Kyiv the front was “stabilized” after Russia captured several small towns and villages after launching the assault on Friday, May 10.

Ukraine deployed units from elsewhere along the front line as reinforcements. Russian forces, estimated at 30,000 men, would be insufficient to carry out a major offensive targeting the city of Kharkiv.

However, Moscow continued its airstrikes on the city, Ukraine's second largest, on Monday, killing one person and wounding two in an overnight attack, according to the region's governor, Oleh Synehubov.

Matthew Savill, director of military science at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, said the freedom to strike Russian targets with US weapons in Belgorod is valuable, but much more support is needed to turn the tide. the war.

“Removing restrictions on Himars and other multiple-launch rocket systems, as well as Ukrainian artillery firing Western-supplied munitions, would allow Ukraine to strike massive Russian forces and conduct missile strikes. counter-battery against artillery just across the border,” he said.

Mr Savill added that Germany's Taurus missiles – which have a longer range than the Himars, Britain's Storm Shadow missiles or France's Scalps but have not yet been authorized by Berlin – could have a greater impact.

“The provision of the German Taurus, with a slightly larger warhead and a range of up to around 300 miles, could make striking deeper targets in Russia much more feasible, or bring additional firepower on “targets further south around Crimea, including the Kerch Bridge, where Russian air defenses are already degraded,” he said.

“Overall, Ukraine's challenges in 2024 and potential responses remain the same as before this decision: resupply of equipment and munitions, recruitment and training of personnel, and effective defenses to prevent or slow Russian ground advances . A deep strike is not a silver bullet.