Putin warns US, says letting Ukraine use long-range missiles could escalate war

Russia has warned that the Biden administration's approval for Ukraine to use long-range US missiles (ATACMS) represents a significant escalation in the conflict. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called it a new stage of US involvement.

The decision by the Biden administration to allow Ukrainian forces to use long range American-made missile to target Russia marks a new round of tension in the Ukraine-Russia war, Kremlin said.

"If such a decision was really formulated and communicated to the Kyiv regime, then, of course, this is a qualitatively new round of tension and a qualitatively new situation from the point of view of the involvement of the United States in this conflict," Russian press secretary Dmitry Peskov told Russian media.

US President-elect Donald Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr, has also claimed that recent aid to Ukraine by the Biden administration is an attempt to start "World War III".

This comment comes after US President Joe Biden approved Ukraine to use the US-supplied long-range missile, also known as the Army Tactical Missile System or ATACMS, to target Russian territory, including the Kursk region, which lies on the northeast border between Russia and Ukraine. These missiles, with a range of about 190 miles, have a powerful blast impact.

The longer-range missiles are likely to be used in response to North Korea’s decision to support Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine, after months of requesting the missiles, signalled it would soon deploy them to address battlefield setbacks, according to the New York Post.

Biden’s decision to permit strikes into Russia won’t shift the battlefield balance significantly, a senior French military official stated, according to Politico.

The strikes might slow Russia’s progress but won’t halt it, as the war heavily depends on weapon production capabilities. The official noted that Russia has more manpower at the front line and advantages in long-term resources, even without North Korean support.

Russia on the other hand has been using Iranian killer drones and North Korean missile to target Ukraine territory, according to Politico.