Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, said in an interview with Al Jazeera that the Russian Armed Forces will take action to “defeat the decision-making centers” if Kiev uses American multiple launch rocket systems against Russian targets.
He explained that this measure could affect the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff. “But in this case you have to understand that the final decision-making centers are unfortunately not even located on the territory of Kyiv. So this is definitely a threat that needs to be taken into account,” he said.
US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink previously said that US authorities will not limit the range of HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), which will be delivered to Ukraine soon.
“We are talking about yesterday’s $700 million aid package, including HIMARS systems… The Ukrainian side will adjust the distance at which they will shoot,” he said at a briefing in Kiev.
He added that the provision of these weapons should “help Ukraine achieve greater accuracy in hitting enemy targets and provide it with longer-range artillery weapons.”
Earlier, the White House emphasized that for the sake of security, the missile range for the MLRS will not exceed 80 km.
On June 1, US President Joe Biden formally approved Washington’s plans to provide $700 million in military aid to Ukraine. States will provide Ukrainian troops with HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems (hypothetically, they can hit targets in Russia from Ukraine, range 500′. Stop). km), helicopters, tactical vehicles, Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems.
US authorities claim that the 11th package of military aid is purely for defensive purposes inside Ukraine, and Kyiv has promised not to use the MLRS to bombard Russian territory.
Following this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will not attack Russia with weapons from the United States.
“I know people in the United States or someone in the White House are saying we can do it. [РСЗО] Use it to attack Russia. Look, we will not attack Russia. “We are not interested in the Russian Federation, we are not fighting on its territory,” he said.
But the Ukrainian authorities will not leave their territory either. “But in some regions there are some difficulties, there are details. These difficulties are debatable,” added Zelensky. He also said that the Ukrainian army lost about 60-100 soldiers every day and about 500 soldiers were injured.
At the same time, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, does not believe the words of Kiev that the MLRS will not be used against the territory of the Russian Federation. “No promises, words in context, especially Zelensky, are unquestionable and useless,” Solovyov said on Live.
According to Zakharova, in Russia, in the words of Zelensky and other leaders of Western countries, “no one else is guided”. “These promises are not because they are priceless promises, but because they have no value,” said Zakharova.
The Kremlin recalled earlier that Kiev has exhausted its credit of trust, for failing to fulfill a single promise of the President of Ukraine on the peaceful settlement of the conflict in Donbass.
At the same time, against the background of Zelensky’s statements, Yegor Chernev, deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, admitted that the Ukrainian army could hit Russia with HIMARS missiles. The Ukrainian Armed Forces called Russian aircraft and “legitimate targets” for the military in Russia.
“We assume certain obligations, but no one can guarantee how the rocket will fly there. Kiev has its own weapons capable of hitting such targets, such as howitzers, self-propelled guns, Tochki-U, ”the statement said.
Source: Gazeta
