The West has lifted the ban on strikes deep into Russia, but there's a catch: an analyst explains the underlying issue.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) have received permission from the West to strike deep into Russian territory and have begun attacking using Ukrainian-made drones. The defense forces' drones can reach targets up to 2,500 km away. Ukraine does not possess missiles with such range. Military expert and analyst from the Defenxe Express portal, Oleg Katkov, discussed the issues surrounding the lifting of the ban during a broadcast on "Espresso".

Katkov described the conditions imposed by partners on Ukraine at the beginning of the war as "inhumane". According to these conditions, for a long time, Ukraine was prohibited from striking Russian territory, while it was evident that no such requirements were placed on Russia. He later acknowledged that the West has indeed lifted this ban, which has positively influenced the course of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

"It has changed the situation for the better, because earlier it was entirely prohibited, but now it is allowed. We are currently operating without restrictions not just in the Kursk region, but across all of Russia," he noted.

The analyst pointed out a paradoxical situation. The paradox is related to the decisions and actual actions of Western countries. Formally, the ban on long-range strikes has been lifted, he stated. However, partners have not provided Ukraine with munitions capable of reaching targets thousands of kilometers away. As of now, the UAF can hit targets up to 2,500 km away. But all strikes are conducted exclusively with Ukrainian munitions, and they are carried out with drones rather than missiles, as discussed on air.

"We only have our own means, which have a range of up to 2,500 km. That is, we do not have Western-produced systems capable of striking at such distances," Katkov emphasized.

Strikes on Russia — Details

Notably, on February 4, the General Staff of the UAF reported a strike on a target within Russian territory. In particular, a hit was recorded on the command headquarters located in the village of Novoivanovka in the Kursk region. The distance to the Ukrainian border is 14 km. The Ukrainian command stated that the Russian Armed Forces suffered casualties while hiding in an abandoned building in the area.

At the same time, several long-range strikes occurred in January targeting oil extraction and oil refining facilities in Russia. For example, on January 12, there was a mass attack by Ukrainian drones: the Russian Ministry of Defense reported about 200 UAVs. Following the attack, a fire broke out at the Kazan org-synthesis plant (1,000 km from Ukraine), at an oil depot near the Engels-2 airfield (about 600 km), and at an electronics plant near Bryansk (about 100 km).

Meanwhile, Russian authorities claimed that the attack allegedly involved ATACMS missiles, which the UAF received from Western partners. Local residents reported that they counted between 10 to 30 possible strikes.

We remind you that in December 2024, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed strong opposition to strikes deep into Russia.