nightmare Born in battle – Time

First step in the direction of a brand new dimension of battle? Russian propaganda was set in movement to denounce an assault on its territory with US weapons, by Himars methods that will have launched missiles towards an air protection set up within the Russian metropolis of Belgorod. Precedent destined to lift stress between Vladimir Putin and NATO. Sergei Ryabkov, deputy overseas minister, warned the US of “deadly penalties” if it permits Ukraine to make use of American weapons for assaults inside Russia: “The responses might also be asymmetrical”, and once more: “The USA, which have given Kiev carte blanche to commit any crime, and who do nothing to cease the harmful and provocative steps of their vassals, they must pay a worth.” “We perceive that Western international locations are working in the direction of an escalation. For our half, we are going to take all vital measures to neutralize the threats related to this escalation,” mentioned Deputy Overseas Minister Alexander Grushko.

Thus far, US President Joe Biden has allowed Ukraine to strike targets exterior its borders solely within the occasion of an instantaneous risk to Ukrainian forces. It stays to be seen whether or not this requirement was met within the Belgorod missile assault.

In the meantime, Russian troops proceed to advance within the north-eastern Ukrainian area of Kharkiv. The USA and Germany on Friday gave Kiev the inexperienced mild to launch assaults on Russian territory with weapons equipped by these NATO international locations, becoming a member of different allied international locations resembling Nice Britain, the Baltic and Scandinavian states who had been joined yesterday by Holland offers the inexperienced mild to the usage of F-16s. Nonetheless, such Ukrainian assaults must be restricted to hitting navy installations throughout the border in Kharkiv, and long-range missiles can by no means be used towards different targets. Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened Europe with “critical penalties” if NATO international locations enable Ukraine to strike navy installations in Russia.