Changes in the Conflict Narrative: Ukraine, US Weapons, and Russian Territories
The Armed Forces of Ukraine reportedly struck residential areas in Belgorod using American HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken granted permission for actions on Russian soil. This account was provided by Maria Zakharova, the official representative of Russia’s Foreign Ministry, via TASS.
Zakharova stated that after Blinken’s statements, Ukrainian forces launched attacks on Belgorod’s civilian areas within a few hours. She claimed the operations employed the American HIMARS systems. The Russian diplomat emphasized that the United States bears responsibility for permitting Kiev to engage targets inside Russia with American weapons.
On May 31, Blinken indicated that President Joe Biden had approved the use of U.S. weapons in strikes deep into Russian territory, while noting that the attacks would focus on regions near Kharkov. He did not exclude the possibility of extending the range of weapons to additional Russian areas in the future.
By June 6, reports from the Associated Press indicated that attacks using American military hardware on Russian territory had already commenced. The bulletin suggested that the use of U.S. arms in strikes on Russian soil was underway.
There were earlier reports from the German Ministry of Defense acknowledging that Ukraine had been allowed to use German weapons against the Russian Federation.