Ukraine claimed last night that it had successfully hit a missile system inside Russia using US weapons.
He said the country’s forces destroyed Russian missile launchers with a strike in the Belgorod region.
Senior politician Yehor Chernev claimed that Ukrainian forces used a High Mobility Rocket Artillery System, or HIMARS, The New York Times reported.
It comes just days after the United States granted Ukraine permission to fire American weapons at Russia.
Ukraine claimed last night that it had successfully attacked a missile system inside Russia using US weapons just days after President Joe Biden (pictured) gave permission to use the missiles.
U.S. and Philippine troops fire a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) during live-fire exercises on March 31, 2023.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden has ruled out Ukraine joining NATO in a major policy shift. The development comes after members of the defense alliance, including the United States and Britain, released a statement last year declaring that “Ukraine’s future lies in NATO.”
But with a view to ending two and a half years of conflict, the president has spoken out against the “natoization” of the country.
While his comments were met with strong criticism in kyiv, analysts believe Biden’s comments could bring a deal closer.
Russia has repeatedly referred to Ukraine’s possible membership in NATO to justify its invasion and occupation of the country.
It comes as NATO countries are set to collaborate to create a “drone wall” on the security alliance’s eastern flank that aims to provide round-the-clock surveillance of cross-border threats from Russia. and Belarus.
Six countries that share a land border with Russia or Belarus – namely Finland, Norway, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – will pool resources to ensure thousands of military and consumer drones can patrol the skies over their eastern regions.
A soldier from 3rd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Scotland, flies the Parrot Anafi drone to identify targets during the live-fire tactical training phase of exercise Vigilant Isles on November 18, 2023.
The MQ-9 Reaper (MQ-9A Reaper) is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) remotely piloted aircraft designed for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) and strike missions.
Ministers from the six countries met last week to discuss the joint project, which is still in its early stages.
The timeline for its deployment and the exact parameters of the initiative have not yet been defined, but it is believed that each country will maintain control of its own assets and work with allied governments and armed forces to share intelligence.
The drones will primarily be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), but Rinkevics said attack drones could also be included in the fleet for defense purposes.
Poland, the only NATO country that spends 4% of its GDP on defense, said the drone initiative will be part of a much broader strategy that will see Warsaw spend billions on improving its security capabilities amid accusations that it is a regular target of hostile actions by Russia. and Belarus.
These alleged actions include cyberattacks, attempted arson and the illegal pushing of migrants across the border, which officials describe as aimed at “destabilizing” the European Union.