Kremlin warns of escalation over US ATACMS missile use in Ukraine

The Russian government has expressed that the decision to use ATACMS missiles for strikes on Russian territory marks a significant escalation in tensions, said Russian President Vladimir Putin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov.

Peskov noted that, Kremlin’s stance should be absolutely clear to all, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“If such a decision has indeed been conveyed to Ukraine, then this clearly represents a qualitatively new phase of tension and a fundamentally different situation in terms of the United States’ involvement in this conflict,” Peskov stated.

“This is our primary standpoint,” he emphasised.

 “These signals have been acknowledged by the collective West. They were articulated by the President in Saint Petersburg,” Peskov reminded.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasised that the Ukrainian army is not capable of carrying out strikes using modern long-range Western weaponry independently. He stated that only NATO military personnel can assign flight missions for such weapons, relying solely on intelligence from NATO satellites.

“If this decision (regarding long-range weapon strikes) is taken, it will signify nothing less than the direct involvement of NATO countries, the United States, and European nations in the war in Ukraine. This is their direct participation, and it, of course, fundamentally changes the nature of the conflict,” Putin said on September 12.

The president added that, should such a situation arise, Russia would “make corresponding decisions, based on the threats” being posed to it.

By Aghakazim Guliyev