A Ukrainian commander near the Russian border recounted how his unit observed a large Russian force gathering, and had to await the troops’ crossing the border before striking.
“There were a lot of Russians gathering, and we could have destroyed them on the way in, but we don’t have many ATACMS, and we have a ban on using them over there,” he told The Times of London.
Drago, a special forces commander with Ukraine’s Kraken detachment, was redeployed, along with his unit and other special forces troops, in April from the eastern Donbas region to Kharkiv to strengthen Ukraine’s forces there, per the Times.
But instead of hitting the Russians, he and his unit were forced to watch as the troops gathered on their side of the border, according to the outlet.
“We had to wait for them to cross,” he said, referring to a US policy that bans Ukrainian forces from using US-supplied weapons to strike targets inside Russia.
The US policy, designed to prevent a wider confrontation, has significant tactical implications. Drago lamented, “We had to wait for them to cross.” This rule has had grave consequences. On May 10, Russian forces encircled Drago’s unit and launched an ambush, leading to a fierce battle where Drago had to call in artillery to repel the attackers, resulting in casualties on both sides.
Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, described the US policy as “absolutely unfair,” emphasizing the strategic limitations it imposes. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy echoed these concerns, arguing that the inability to target Russian military positions inside Russia gives the Kremlin a substantial advantage.
Despite ongoing negotiations to lift these restrictions, Ukraine has yet to see positive outcomes. The US and other Western countries continue to provide substantial military aid to Ukraine, yet they draw a firm line at allowing Ukrainian forces to use these weapons to strike within Russian territory.
Russian troops punched across the border between Russia and Ukraine this month and pushed toward Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, which has a population of about 1 million people. Military analysts say Russia lacks the troops to capture the city but could advance to within artillery range, touching off a larger flow of refugees.
Relevant articles:
– A Ukrainian commander had Russian troops in his sights but couldn’t attack. He says a US rule is to blame., Business Insider, 05/23/2024
– Under Relentless Russian Assault, Ukraine Adopts a Defensive Crouch, Yahoo News UK, 05/22/2024
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