US watches closely as Ukrainian forces push into Russia with US-provided arms

CNN —

The US has watched closely as Ukrainian forces pushed deeper into Russian territory, powered in part by US-provided arms and equipment that have raised questions about whether Kyiv has abided by the Biden administration’s restrictions on the use of American weaponry.

Ukraine has used US weaponry and vehicles as part of its offensive, according to officials, even though the Biden administration did put boundaries on the use of US weaponry in Russia, according to two US officials. The officials would not detail the exact boundaries the US drew but said Ukraine had not “technically” breached the US-imposed limitations.

US-made Humvees were seen entering Russia’s Kursk oblast through the Ukraine-Russia border crossing near Sudzha, Russia, on Tuesday in a Reuters photograph.

Ukraine has also used HIMARS rocket launchers as part of the operation, officials said, but the vehicles appear to have remained in Ukrainian territory, using the range of its GMLRS missile to hit Russia.

The Russian Ministry of Defense released drone video on Thursday, showing a HIMARS rocket-launching vehicle firing missiles in a wooded area just under five miles from the Russia-Ukraine border. The US’ restrictions on the use of long-range ATACMS missile has not changed, US officials said. Ukraine has used the missiles to strike Russian air defense systems in Russian-occupied Crimea.

On Friday, Russia’s foreign ministry said Ukraine had likely used HIMARS to destroy a bridge over the Seym river in the Kursk region, adding the strike killed volunteers trying to evacuate civilians.

Ukrainian servicemen ride an armoured personnel carrier, near the Russian border in Sumy region, Ukraine, on Wednesday.

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