Ukraine can use the weapons supplied to it by the US for strikes on targets not only on Russian territory near the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, the Pentagon announced, Reuters and BTA reported.
Last month, President Joe Biden quietly authorized Kiev to use US-supplied weapons for military purposes on Russian soil. But officials said at the time that Biden's decision only applied to targets on Russian territory near the border with eastern Ukraine's Kharkiv region.
Pentagon spokesman Air Force Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters that while there had been no change in policy, Ukraine's use of weapons against Russian troops had not been limited to Russian territory near Kharkiv .
"The ability to return fire when fired upon is really what this policy is focused on...as we see Russian forces firing across the border, Ukraine's ability to return fire on these ground forces using US-provided munitions," Ryder said.
"It is self-defense and so it makes sense that they should be able to do it," he added.
Rider's remarks echoed comments made by Biden's national security adviser earlier this week, Reuters noted.
"This is not about geography. It's about common sense,'' White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told PBS. "If Russia attacks or is preparing to attack Ukraine from its territory, it makes sense to allow Ukraine to return fire against forces attacking it from across the border."
Sullivan added that Ukraine could also use air defenses to shoot down Russian planes flying in Russian airspace if they were preparing to fire into Ukrainian airspace.