Ukraine's long-range ambitions: Escalating tensions with Russia

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sergey Lavrov, said that potentially permitting Ukraine to use long-range rockets to attack targets deep inside Russia is "playing with fire." - They’re playing with matches like little children. Russia has its own nuclear doctrine, which is currently being modified. The Americans know about this - added Lavrov.

- Russia has its own nuclear doctrine, which is currently being modified - stated Defence Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday. He warned "Western nuclear powers" against supporting Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced that Russia might make changes to its nuclear doctrine by the end of June. He explained that the adjustment is taking place in the context of discussions about the possibility "of lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons."

The politician also commented on the potential of Kyiv striking targets deep inside Ukraine using long-range missiles.

Moscow accused the West of providing military equipment to Ukraine, which Ukrainian forces used in Russia's Kursk region, where they have been conducting an offensive since August 6. Ukrainian authorities confirmed that HIMARS rocket launchers were used to destroy bridges in this region.

Ukraine is also asking for permission to use Western weapons to destroy strategic Russian military facilities deep inside the country.

We have long heard speculation about allowing Ukraine to use not just Storm Shadow but also American long-range rockets. In Washington, a source informed us that such work is ongoing, and Ukraine's request is being positively considered. This is playing with fire, warned Lavrov.

They’re playing with matches like little children. This is a very dangerous thing for grown men and women, to whom nuclear weapons have been entrusted in one Western country or another, he added.

Earlier, the Guardian newspaper, citing senior Ukrainian officials, reported that Kyiv wanted to conduct a "demonstrative attack" with Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russian territory to create a potential threat to Moscow, but the United States did not support this risky plan.

Lavrov said that "the West is escalating with Russia and does not want to avoid it."

Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that the "Washington's escalatory path is beoming more and more challenging."

- The impression is that (U.S.) colleagues have thrown away the remnants of common sense and believe that everything is permissible for them. Similar approaches are followed by their clientele in Kyiv - he said.

Riabkov acknowledged that the United States was and is "involved in the Ukrainian attack on the Kursk region."

As we reported earlier, "Kyiv is ready to provide Washington with a list of targets in Russia that American long-range weapons can hit" - reports Politico. "Ukraine is using the list as a last-ditch effort to convince Washington to lift the restrictions on U.S. weapons being used inside Russia."

Russia has already transferred approximately 30,000 soldiers from Ukraine to the Kursk direction, and that number is growing - informed the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, speaking online at the "Ukraine 2024. Independence" forum in Kyiv on Tuesday.

Syrskyi emphasized that the Kursk operation naturally redirected many enemy forces. Ukraine can now state that about 30,000 military members have already been directed toward Kursk. That number is constantly increasing, and its enemy is trying to withdraw units from other directions.