With US approval, Ukraine is now able to launch long-range missile strikes deep into Russian territory. It can help defend occupied positions in the Kursk region of Ukraine. However, analysts believe that this step has come too late to change the course of the war. British news agency Reuters reported this news.
Joe Biden's administration, in the final two months before Donald Trump took office as president, partially lifted a ban on the use of US-supplied weapons in attacks on Russian territory. This information was reported in a Reuters report on Sunday.
According to analysts, Ukraine's military progress on the battlefield is currently lagging. While this policy change may strengthen the Kursk region campaign, it is unlikely to dramatically change the overall war.
Michael Kaufman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the decision came late and, like many previous decisions, may not fundamentally change the course of the war. Long-range attacks are only part of the war strategy and are over-expected.
There is also uncertainty as to how long this policy will remain in effect. Richard Grenell, a close adviser to the Trump administration, criticized the decision. Trump has promised to reduce the level of US aid to Ukraine after taking office on January 20. However, he did not elaborate on how he would end the war.
Ukraine has long tried to convince the United States that not being allowed to attack Russian military bases, especially airfields, is a major limitation for them.
Retaining the progress Ukraine has made in the Kursk region is crucial for them. Kiev said Russia had deployed 50,000 troops there and sent 11,000 North Korean fighters. However, Russia has not confirmed the truth of this claim.
The first strike is likely to be launched in the next few days and may use ATACMS rockets, which are capable of hitting targets up to 306 kilometers away.
A Central European defense official said the weapon could offer some protection to Ukraine from airstrikes, but its impact on changing the overall course of the war would be limited. Russia has already moved most of its military equipment out of Ukraine's weapons range.
Besides, France and Britain have not confirmed whether they will allow the use of Storm Shadow or SCALP cruise missiles.
The decision by the Biden administration is the result of long-term lobbying by Ukraine. But according to analysts, such a step was taken too late. Ukraine might have made great strides if such weapons had been allowed early in the war.
Olga Korovyachuk, a resident of Kiev, said it might help. But it should have been implemented long ago. Now it doesn't have much effect anymore.
The effort to secure the Kursk region is considered an important strategy for Ukraine, but analysts say it will be difficult to sustain in the long term. Ukraine's military strength and logistics will determine its success.
