The US will allow Ukraine to strike Russian territory with long-range missiles, and France and Britain follow the US’ lead.

After months of negotiations with Washington, the Biden administration, with two months left in office, has for the first time authorized the Ukrainian military to use American ATACMS to strike Russian targets in the Kursk region in response to North Korea’s deployment of thousands of troops to aid Moscow’s war effort against Ukraine. The weapons are likely to be initially employed against Russian and North Korean troops to support Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region of western Russia, officials said.

However, a US official said that Biden’s approval of ATACMS “will have a very specific and limited effect” on the battlefield, designed to limit concerns about escalation. To help the Ukrainians defend Kharkiv, Biden has allowed them to use HIMARS, which have a range of about 50 miles (80 km), against Russian forces directly across the border. However, the US President will not allow the Ukrainians to use longer-range ATACMS, which have a range of about 190 miles (300 km), in Kharkiv’s defense.

Immediately after the US decision, French and British authorities gave their permission for Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory using their SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles.