Poking the Bear

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Russia reacted with fury over the United States’ decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range American-made Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) against Russian territory, calling it a dangerous escalation in the nearly three-year conflict, Politico reported.

On Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the move had brought a “new round of tension,” and accused the US of deepening its involvement in the war. Russian lawmakers echoed these warnings, claiming the decision brings the world closer to a third world war. Further ominous talk came Tuesday when the Kremlin said changes in Russia’s nuclear doctrine had been made and would be “formalized as necessary,” Sky News reported.

Meanwhile, the Russian state newspaper, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, wrote Monday that “Departing US president Joe Biden … has taken one of the most provocative, uncalculated decisions of his administration, which risks catastrophic consequences,” the BBC noted.

Putin, meanwhile, has not commented, the news site added.

The US policy shift announced over the weekend marked a departure for the Biden administration, which had previously refused Kyiv’s requests to use US-supplied weapons for strikes within Russia over fears of a superpower clash.

The ATACMS are capable of striking targets 200 miles away and are far more destructive than weapons Ukraine has used for cross-border attacks so far, such as drones.

Observers said the US decision is a response to Russia’s recent actions in Ukraine, including the deployment of 11,000 North Korean troops to its western Kursk region and intensified missile attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Moscow’s condemnation follows a series of devastating Russian strikes over the weekend, including a ballistic missile attack on Ukraine’s northeastern city of Sumy that killed 11 people and injured more than 80 others.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the US decision, noting its importance for bolstering Ukraine’s defense capabilities, though he stressed that “missiles will speak for themselves.”

While many security analysts believe that the policy shift is unlikely to decisively alter the battlefield dynamics, the Kremlin views the move as a direct challenge, CBS News added.

Peskov and other officials reiterated warnings that further NATO involvement could push the conflict toward global escalation, a sentiment amplified in Russian state media.