According to media reports, Ukraine has used the American Patriot system it received from Germany at least once against Russia on Russian soil.
The news agency AFP and the German news agency reported on the matter Bild, who base their information on anonymous sources. Bild says its source is a representative of the Ukrainian security service.
According to media claims, Ukraine has targeted the Krasnodar region of southern Russia.
According to Bild, Ukraine used an anti-aircraft missile in Russian airspace to repel at least one Russian military plane.
The media don’t say the time of the attack, but the Ph.D. in military science Ilmari Käihkö says it’s probably last year’s event.
In this article, Käihkö bases his situation on information obtained from newspaper reports.
In the graphic below, you can see how deep into Russia Ukraine could strike with Western weapons
What is it about?
The West limits Ukraine’s ability to respond to Russian attacks for political reasons.
According to Käihkö, Ukraine’s hands are tied due to political restrictions. The West’s decision has given Russia the opportunity to strike across the border without fear of retaliation.
According to Ukraine, Russia fires nearly 5,000 artillery shells into the area of Kharkiv, which is located near the Russian border, every day.
Ukraine cannot respond to the fire with weapons received from the West, although several air bases used by the Russians are within range of Western weapons.
Ukraine has long been trying to persuade Western countries to give it permission to strike military targets on Russian soil. Recently, several countries have begun to bend to Ukraine’s will.
Why does the attack on Russian soil speak volumes?
Western countries are divided on whether Ukraine is allowed to use Western military aid for attacks against Russia on Russian soil.
For example, the United States and Germany have emphasized that Ukraine may not use Western arms aid for anything other than self-defense. The countries argue that they do not want to be drawn directly into the war.
On the other hand, several countries, such as Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, France and Britain do not restrict the use of Western weapons.
Also the Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg already suggested last week that restrictions on the use of Western weapons in Russian territory should be removed.
Read also: Finland has not limited the use of the weapons it has given to Ukraine – also according to NATO, Ukraine can strike on Russian soil
EU foreign policy representative Josep Borrell said on Tuesday at a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels that Ukraine should have the right to use Western weapons to strike the Russian side in defense against an attack.
Käihkö says that from Ukraine’s point of view, the war is not progressing very well at the moment. Russia has repeatedly announced new occupations in eastern Ukraine.
– I think this underlines the fact that Ukraine has to come up with new tricks in order to be able to change the big picture of the war, says Käihkö.
Ukraine has repeatedly stressed to the West the importance of removing political restrictions in order to respond to Russian attacks on its soil.
In addition, Ukraine wants Western troops in Ukraine.
Ukraine has had discussions with France, among others, about bringing military trainers to the country. The Baltic countries and Poland are also ready to send their troops to Ukraine.
For the time being, Finland does not consider it possible to send troops to support Ukraine.
What impact can the events have on Ukraine?
So far, Ukraine has not lost Western arms aid, even if it has acted against Western restrictions.
The United States and Germany have warned that they will stop supplying Ukraine with anti-aircraft missiles if Ukraine uses them on Russian soil.
According to Käihkö, despite the warnings, this has not happened.
– Apparently, nothing has followed from this. Russia has not reacted to this either.
According to Käihkö, in theory, Ukraine would be able to take the war more and more to Russia’s side, if it were allowed to attack Russia with western weapons.
Käihkö estimates that with the help of Western troops, Ukraine could change the situation at the front very quickly.
Now Ukraine is stuck defending the front line, but
According to Käihkö, it is possible that Ukraine could continue the attacks in a couple of years.
– At the moment, it seems that Ukraine could reach a situation in 2026 where they could continue to attack.
However, that would mean prolonging the war, but according to Käihkö, the West seems to have already accepted this.
How has Russia reacted?
The Russian regime, the Kremlin, has repeatedly said that Western involvement in the conflict will lead to its escalation.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin warned the West on Tuesday of serious consequences if the West allows Ukraine to use its weapons to attack Russia.
– It’s hard to say what the West wants, maybe a global conflict? Putin said a Russian news agency Interfax by.
Putin did not specify what kind of consequences it might be, but referred to the nuclear weapons potential of Russia and the United States.
Also a spokesman for the Kremlin Dmitry Peskov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are claimedthat NATO is already in direct conflict with Russia.
Source: AFP
Such are the long-range ATACMS missiles and the Patriot anti-aircraft systems. The video was made in April 2024.