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Russian "red lines" over Ukraine's use of Western-supplied weapons to strike targets within Russian territory are simply "theater," Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukrainian military intelligence, said in an interview on Ukrainian television on June 13.
Russia has threatened to strike military facilities in Western and NATO countries, if those facilities are found to be supplying long-range arms to Ukraine. However, the spy chief does not believe that these threats are anything but words.
"Do these red lines exist at all?" asked Budanov rhetorically.
"No. If they do, where are they? We’ve supposedly crossed them multiple times over the years. I believe it’s all for show," he added."
Western weapons on Russian soil
Despite the use of Western arms, the U.S. has expressed a specific stance on the matter. White House spokesperson John Kirby emphasized on May 17 that the U.S. does not encourage Ukraine to use American weapons to strike Russian territory, stating that foreign weapons should be used to reclaim Ukraine's sovereign territory, specifically within its borders.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a May 21 interview with The New York Times, revealed he had sought U.S. permission to use American missiles and other weapons against military targets in Russia. Subsequent reports by AFP on May 29 cited anonymous sources stating Ukraine had already used Western weapons for strikes on Russian territory multiple times.
In a significant development reported by The New York Times on May 31, President Joe Biden permitted Ukraine to carry out limited strikes on Russian territory with American-made weapons, a decision influenced by pressure from his advisors and key allies. On the same day, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed this approval, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius authorized Ukraine to use German-made weapons for strikes on Russian territory, albeit only in areas close to the border.
The approval's immediate impact was seen when Ukrainian forces attacked the Russian city of Belgorod using HIMARS, a U.S.-supplied multiple rocket launcher, just hours after the White House's approval, as reported by Forbes on June 2.
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