UPDATE - US approves Ukraine's use of long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia: US media

ADDS RUSSIAN, UKRAINIAN REACTION, CHANGES DECK

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - Outgoing US President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use long-range missiles supplied by the US for "limited strikes" within Russian territory in a major policy shift, US media reported Sunday.

The decision follows reports of North Korea sending troops to support Moscow’s war effort, The Washington Post reported, citing two US officials.

A senior US official said the move also aims to deter further North Korean involvement in Russia's war on Ukraine, which was launched in February 2022.

Previously, Washington opposed Ukraine using the long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) against Russian targets, citing concerns over potential retaliation from Russia.

- Zelenskyy: Rockets will speak for themselves

Acknowledging the media reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his "Victory Plan" to strengthen Ukraine includes long-range capabilities for the military.

"Blows are not inflicted with words. Such things are not announced. The rockets will speak for themselves," he added.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said President Vladimir Putin had already spoken on the issue of long-range US missiles being fired into Russian territory, the state news agency TASS reported.

In September, Putin warned that the use of such long-range missiles would be viewed by Moscow as the "direct participation" of NATO countries in the Ukraine conflict.

It would “substantially change" the conflict, he said, specifying that “it will mean that NATO countries, the United States and European countries are fighting Russia,"

The missiles, with a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) and GPS-guided accuracy, provide significant firepower.

Biden’s decision marks a shift in US policy amid growing global complexities in the Ukraine conflict and takes place around two months before he is set to leave office on Jan. 20.

His successor, President-elect Donald Trump, has signaled that he is likely to cut off US military aid to Ukraine, leaving it at a steep disadvantage in fighting its much larger neighbor.

Trump has also pledged a quick end to the war, though what methods he may use to do this are not known.