Why US Now Lets Ukraine Strike Inside Russia With American Missiles

Ukraine pleaded with the US for months to let it use American-made weapons to hit military targets inside Russia beyond the border zone. Now, as he nears the end of his presidency, Joe Biden has relented and lifted some restrictions, according to people familiar with the decision.

Under the new approach, Ukraine can use these weapons against targets that relate to its operations in the Kursk region, a chunk of Russian territory that it occupied over the summer and is fighting to hold onto in the face of assaults by Russian and North Korean forces. The US reversal is a response to North Korea’s decision to send more than 10,000 troops to Kursk as part of a deepening alliance with Moscow, as well as stepped-up Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, said the people with knowledge of the matter.