RIGA - The US permission for Ukraine to attack targets in Russia with long-range missiles will definitely help Ukraine to reduce the offensive of Russian forces, especially in the Kursk region, Major Janis Slaidins, Chief of Staff of the Latvian National Guard, commented in an interview to the Latvian Radio.
He stressed that in order to be able to objectively assess the importance of the US authorization in the course of the war, it would be important to know what territory the decision covers - just the Kursk region or a broader area. Secondly, it is important to know how many missiles Ukraine has that could really have a significant impact on the combat capabilities of the Russian troops.
The general public might never get clear answers to these two questions, Slaidins admitted. "We do not know what missiles Ukraine has that the US has given it. All we know at the moment is what is in the open sources - this ATACMS missile system with a range of up to 300 kilometers," the expert said.
Given that Russia is determined to regain control of Kursk, the US authorization for Ukraine to use long-range missiles on targets in Russia will certainly help Ukrainian forces to resist a Russian offensive, Slaidins said, adding that Russia has greatly developed its military infrastructure on the Ukrainian border in recent years, so Ukraine will have targets to shoot at.
Assessing what kind of response Russia is now expected to give, Slaidins admitted that it is clear that another red line set by Russia has been crossed, but it is not foreseeable whether the consequences will be real or remain just talk. In any case, what is clear is that the West should not be too scared of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's threats about possible consequences, but should instead be more active in helping Ukraine to stop the war that Russia has started.
At the same time, he acknowledged that for the time being Russia is strong enough and is looking for resources to continue its active role in the war zone and that Ukraine's desire to regain its borders as they were in 1991 looks like an illusion for the time being.
As reported, US President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use long-range American missiles against military targets inside Russia, a US official who wished to remain anonymous told AFP on Sunday.
The New York Times and The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, first reported the authorization, saying it was given in response to North Korea's deployment of troops to support Moscow's war effort.
A US official who spoke to AFP confirmed that the reports were true, while State Department, White House and Pentagon officials declined to comment.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has persistently requested Washington's permission to use ATACMS missile systems to attack targets on Russian territory.
According to US newspapers, the Biden administration's change of position was triggered by the arrival of North Korean troops in Russia. Western intelligence reports suggest that some 10,000 North Korean troops are stationed there.
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