Russia warns West over Ukraine's long-range missile use

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sergey Lavrov, has stated that potentially granting Ukraine permission to use long-range missiles to attack targets deep within Russia is "playing with fire." "They are playing with matches like little children. Russia has its own nuclear doctrine, which is currently being modified. The Americans know this," added Lavrov.

Lavrov warned "Western nuclear powers" against supporting Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. "Russia has its own nuclear doctrine, which is currently being modified," he said on Tuesday.

Russian leader 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 on the possibility of "lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons."

Lavrov also commented on the potential strike by Kyiv on targets deep within Ukraine using long-range missiles.

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

Ukraine is also requesting permission to use Western weapons to destroy strategic military targets in Russia.

"We have long heard speculations about allowing Ukraine to use not only Storm Shadow but also American long-range missiles. In Washington, a source reported that such work is underway, and Ukraine's request is being viewed positively. This is playing with fire," warned Lavrov.

"They are playing with matches like little children. This is a very dangerous thing for grown men and women, who in this or that Western country have been entrusted with nuclear weapons," he added.

Earlier, the Guardian newspaper, citing senior Ukrainian officials, reported that Kyiv wanted to carry out a "demonstrative strike" 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 stated that the "West is falling into escalation with Russia and does not want to avoid it."

Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that the escalating course of the United States "is becoming increasingly provocative in the situation around Ukraine", and "the consequences for Washington could be much more serious than so far."

"Our American colleagues know what we are talking about. The escalatory course of Washington is becoming increasingly provocative. They believe they have everything permitted," he said.

Ryabkov asserted 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 can be hit by American long-range weapons," reports Politico. Ukrainian officials are set to make "one last attempt to convince Washington to lift restrictions on the use of U.S. weapons" this week.

Russia has already relocated around 30,000 soldiers from Ukraine to the Kursk direction, and this number is growing - reported the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, speaking online at the "Ukraine 2024. Independence" forum in Kyiv on Tuesday.

"Of course, the Kursk operation redirected a significant number of enemy forces. At the moment, we can state that about 30,000 military personnel have already been sent towards Kursk. This number is constantly growing. The enemy is trying to withdraw units from other directions," noted Syrskyi.