Ukraine is free to use British weapons on Russian territory, with the exception of Storm Shadow.
The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed that Ukraine is free to use British weapons on Russian territory, including during the offensive in the Kursk region, writes The Times.
“There has been no change in UK government policy. Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Ukraine has a clear right to self-defence against unlawful attacks by Russia. This does not exclude operations on Russian territory,” the Defence Ministry spokeswoman said.
As former British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace noted, Ukraine had previously been given permission to hit targets in Russia using “any weapons that were supplied to it” with the exception of the long-range Storm Shadow missiles. He suggested that the same rules would apply to Ukraine’s operation in the Kursk region.
“If these attacks are aimed at destroying the logistics and infrastructure supporting the invasion of Ukraine, then it is entirely legitimate to use British weapons,” he added.
Now, as The Times notes, weapons given to the Ukrainians by Britain could soon be seen on the battlefield in the Kursk region, along with already confirmed weapons from other Western countries. George Barros, an ISW researcher, noted that German mine-clearing tanks and tank carriers have already been spotted in the Kursk region, as well as a US-supplied Stryker armored fighting vehicle and at least one French-supplied armored personnel carrier.
At the same time, as the publication writes, behind the scenes, ministers are trying to convince allies to approve Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow cruise missiles on Russian territory.
As Ukrainian forces continue their “courageous fight against Russian aggression”, British Defence Secretary John Healey said in a phone call with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin, they discussed the need to “support Ukraine for as long as it takes and provide it with vital equipment”.
Fighting in Kursk region – what is known
As Forbes writes, Ukraine has sent two more airborne assault brigades to the Kursk region – the 82nd and 95th. Thus, the Ukrainian invasion corps now includes six frontline brigades plus two separate battalions – in total, perhaps, about 15,000 troops.
At the same time, many of the brigades and battalions sent to the Kursk region are being transferred from other active areas of the front, such as Pokrovsk, Toretsk and Chasov Yar.
