Deep strikes by Ukraine into Russia would reshape nature of ongoing conflict Russian officials warn

Permitting Ukraine to conduct long-range missile strikes deep into Russian territory would significantly alter the nature of the ongoing conflict, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated.

Grushko's remarks followed discussions within NATO about potentially lifting the ban on the Ukrainian Armed Forces' use of long-range missiles for strikes inside Russia, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

The diplomat emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin had previously warned of the consequences if Ukraine were granted permission for such operations.

"The Ukrainians cannot independently operate these weapons. This will change the entire nature of the conflict," Grushko explained.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov cautioned that allowing such strikes would be akin to "playing with fire" and would carry dangerous consequences.

On October 3, new NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced during a press conference in Kyiv that the contact group on Ukraine would deliberate on removing restrictions on Western weapons use by Ukrainian forces for strikes within Russia on October 12.

Additionally, Grushko criticized Ukraine's potential NATO membership, labelling it a geopolitical project driven by Washington and imposed on its European allies. He warned that Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration could dismantle the remnants of Europe's security architecture and potentially collapse NATO itself.

On October 8, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris avoided giving a definitive answer regarding U.S. support for Ukraine’s NATO bid, while on October 6, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico confirmed his party’s opposition to Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Alliance.

By Tamilla Hasanova