Washington, May 30 (FN Agency) The United States is concerned about Ukraine’s attempts to strike Russia’s missile early warning systems due to the risk of destabilising the situation, a US official told the Washington Post on condition of anonymity. “The United States is concerned about Ukraine’s recent strikes against Russian ballistic missile early-warning sites,” the official said. The US told Kiev about its concerns about two attempted attacks last week against radar stations providing conventional air defence as well as warning of Western nuclear launches. “These sites have not been involved in supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. But they are sensitive locations because Russia could perceive that its strategic deterrent capabilities are being targeted, which could undermine Russia’s ability to maintain nuclear deterrence against the United States,” the US official said.
The newspaper quoted a Ukrainian official as saying Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) was responsible for the strikes. US media earlier reported that the Biden administration is considering lifting restrictions on Ukraine to strike targets on Russian territory with US-supplied weapons, despite earlier statements that it has not given such authorisation. Russia has been conducting a special military operation in Ukraine since February 24, 2022. President Vladimir Putin has said the operation aims to “protect people subjected to genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.” According to the president, the ultimate goal of the operation is to liberate Donbas and create conditions that guarantee Russia’s security.Russia earlier sent a note to NATO because of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia.