Kyiv will not use fighter jets and long-range weapons if they are supplied by Western countries for strikes on Russian territory. This was announced on Thursday, February 23, by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba.
At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine will use these weapons “to liberate the territories.”
“We can guarantee that we will use Western weapons to liberate Ukrainian territories,” Kuleba told a British TV channel. sky newswhen asked if he could guarantee that Ukraine would not use Western aircraft and other long-range weapons to bombard Russian territory itself.
Prior to this, on February 21, Bloomberg wrote that the United States would transfer to Ukraine JDAM-ER precision bombs with a range of up to 72 km and GPS guidance. The US Department of Defense has not officially confirmed the shipment of such munitions. However, on December 21, the Pentagon reported that the next package of military assistance to Ukraine would include “precision-guided aviation munitions”, without naming their model and quantity.
Two sources associated with the production of shells confirmed that it was a JDAM-ER. They can be mounted on unguided bombs weighing from 225 to 900 kg.
Commenting on this news, adviser to the acting head of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin, military-political expert Yan Gagin noted that if shells with a range of 72 km are delivered to Kiev, there will be no safe places on the territory of Donbass, since the affected area will expand significantly.
At the same time, The New York Times wrote that weapons supplied by Western countries to Ukraine are increasingly intended for attack, not defense. It was noted that armored vehicles, long-range missiles and modern tanks are currently being supplied from the West.
In turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the same day, speaking with a message to the Federal Assembly, called Moscow’s retaliatory step in the event of the supply of long-range weapons to Kyiv. According to him, the more long-range ammunition will come to Ukraine, the further Russia will be forced to move Ukrainian troops away from its borders.
Prior to that, on February 17, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the taboo on the supply of long-range missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) was already being lifted.
Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Kiev against the backdrop of a special operation by the Russian Federation to protect Donbass, the decision on which was made against the backdrop of aggravation in the region due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.
