Additional Coverage:
- A Ukrainian commander had Russian troops in his sights but couldn’t attack. He says a US rule is to blame. (newsbreak.com)
In the border city of Vovchansk, located in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukrainian forces kept a vigilant watch over an increasing number of Russian troops gathering across the border as of May 20, 2024. Despite their readiness, a Ukrainian commander revealed that his troops were unable to proactively engage the Russian forces with weapons supplied by the United States, based on a report by the Times of London. The commander highlighted that a lifting of the U.S. restrictions could have allowed them to neutralize the threat before it escalated.
Named Drago, the commander of the special forces unit Kraken, detailed his frustrating experiences. In anticipation of Russian aggression, his unit, along with other special forces, had been redeployed from the eastern Donbas region to Kharkiv in April to bolster Ukrainian defenses. Drago explained the limitations placed on their engagement strategies, specifically mentioning the lack of access to ATACMS long-range missiles and a strict U.S. policy prohibiting strikes on Russian soil with American-supplied weaponry.
The United States and other Western nations have been instrumental in providing Ukraine with military assistance since the conflict’s outset. Nonetheless, there remains a steadfast stance against the use of these weapons for attacks within Russia’s borders, a measure aimed at curtailing a potential escalation in the conflict.
The U.S. Pentagon and Army officials have consistently expressed opposition to Ukraine’s use of supplied arms for cross-border strikes. This prohibition, according to Drago, resulted in significant operational setbacks, culminating in Russian forces ambushing and encircling his unit, leading to a precarious situation that saw Drago’s six-person team split and besieged.
Despite the harrowing circumstances, Drago managed to repulse the Russian assault with an artillery strike that killed at least three Russian soldiers. This encounter, he argued, could have been avoided had they had the operational freedom to utilize ATACMS missiles.
This sentiment of operational restraint is shared among Ukrainian officials. Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, pressed for the U.S. to reconsider its prohibitive stance, labeling it as “unfair” in the face of Ukraine’s efforts to repel new offensives in regions like Kharkiv.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy added his voice to the issue, noting to The New York Times the tactical disadvantage imposed by these restrictions, which he believes give the Kremlin a significant edge in the conflict. Despite ongoing negotiations with Western allies to revisit these rules, President Zelenskyy admitted to Reuters that these talks have yet to produce favorable outcomes.
Original reporting from Business Insider provided these insights.