Nyet! Ukrainian Forces Must Not Shell Russian Territory

"[The Biden administration] may give Kyiv HIMARS MLRS and M270 MLRS, which will be equipped with M31 GMLRS guided missiles."

"There is a risk that such equipment will be placed near Russia's borders and Ukrainians will be able to strike at Russian cities. Such a situation is unacceptable and intolerable for us."

"We are calling for an end to the senseless and extremely risky pumping of weapons into the country. It is important to refrain from threats against us and claims of a military victory for Ukraine."

Russia's ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov

 

"Certainly, we're mindful and aware of of the Ukrainian asks, privately and publicly, for what is known as a multiple-launch rocket system."

"I won't get ahead of decisions. I've never done that since we've been starting to do these drawdown authority packages, but I can assure you that we are in constant communication with them, and we're still committed to helping them succeed on the battlefield, and to succeed specifically in the fight they're in."

"[The United States is moving weapons systems into Ukraine] every single day ... helping them literally in the fight, including howitzers, which are still arriving."

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby 

A rocket is launched from an MLRS during a training exercise involving part of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and the South Korean army at Cheorwon, South Korea. Ukraine has been pleading for weeks with the U.S. to get American-made MLRS weaponry.

Preparations appear to be underway for the Biden administration to forward advanced long-range rocket systems to Ukraine while it is undergoing significant losses in the east from Russian forces. The provision of the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), an American weapon that fires a torrent of rockets farther than current Ukrainian capabilities, appears to be in the works, still awaiting confirmation by the White House. 

Ukrainian authorities have been asking for this rocket system as a necessity to enable the Ukrainian military to curb the Russian forces' advance, now claiming full control of the strategic eastern city of Lyman; another notch toward the victory Moscow is anticipating in its advance on Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.

The Kremlin has wasted little time warning that any country seeking to provide advanced weaponry to Ukraine will as a result face harsh repercussions -- without elaborating on what they might consist of. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that the West "declared total war" against Russia. Some White House officials are concerned that providing the MLRS with a range of over 180 miles could result in Ukrainian forces firing retaliatory rockets into Russian territory, potentially causing a major escalation.

According to a senior U.S. official, however, the White House appears comfortable in providing the system to Ukraine. There will, however, be an arrangement to manage the escalation risk in the withholding of the longest range rockets that are compatible with the MLRS system. Typically, rockets fired by these systems have a range of roughly 43 miles according to Army data. Specialized rockets (Army Tactical Missile Systems) can strike further at distances up to 186 miles.

Their use is meant to pulverize critical infrastructure, such as air defence sites and forward bases. However, the shorter-range rockets would over-double the reach of Ukrainian firepower as it is at present. U.S.-delivered M777 howitzers currently in the hands of Kyiv's forces have a range of about 18 miles. Thousands of Stinger and Javelin shoulder-fired missiles are among other sophisticated weapons sent to Ukraine by the United States. 

Moscow maintains a firepower advantage, despite the flood of U.S. and Western arms to Ukraine, points out Ukrainian officials, a situation causing them to lose ground in Donbas. "The Biden administration has been dragging their feet", Senator Lindsey Gram accused on Twitter.

Ukrainian artillery shells Russian troops' position on the front line near Lysychansk in the Luhansk region, April 12, 2022.