Trump Authorises Ukraine Strikes Into Russia With Long-Range Weapons

Image by Martin Foskett / Knelstrom Media

​By Martin Foskett | Newswire | Knelstrom Media

​WASHINGTON, USA. President Donald Trump has authorised Ukraine to use long-range drones and missiles to strike targets on Russian soil, a policy shift described by U.S. officials as significant but tightly controlled. The decision, framed as case-by-case authorisation rather than a standing permission, marks the first formal recognition from Washington that Ukrainian forces may extend their reach across the border.

The announcement came through Trump's envoy, Keith Kellogg, who remarked that "there are no such things as sanctuaries" when Russia is launching attacks from its own territory. The message was clear enough: missile batteries and drone launch pads inside Russia could now be considered legitimate targets if Ukraine received direct presidential clearance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long argued for the right to hit Russian launch sites beyond the front line, describing them as untouchable zones from which Moscow delivers bombardments. Kyiv has pressed repeatedly for cruise missiles with the range to reach deep into Russian territory, including the U.S. Tomahawk system. U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirmed that Trump alone would make the final decision on whether such weapons are supplied.

The shift carries both symbolic and ambiguous meanings. While it signals a firmer alignment with Ukraine's demands, Pentagon officials have previously imposed restrictions on how U.S. weapons could be used, citing fears of escalation. Analysts in Washington note that Trump's declaration leaves open the possibility of military strikes against Russia, but only on terms he personally dictates. In practical terms, Ukraine may still face delays or denials when seeking approval.

Reaction has been split. Supporters in Kyiv and Warsaw greeted the announcement as overdue recognition that Russia's war machine cannot be constrained by geography. Critics, particularly in European capitals, wary of escalation, cautioned that expanding the battlefield could provoke Russian retaliation or complicate fragile diplomatic channels. Russian officials have already threatened unspecified "consequences" if their territory is targeted with Western-supplied systems.

For now, the immediate effect is political rather than tactical. Ukrainian forces already conduct limited cross-border strikes using domestically built drones, but formal U.S. authorisation extends legitimacy to actions that were previously carried out in a grey zone. It also offers Trump a lever of control, tying Ukraine's deep-strike capacity to his direct approval.

The policy shift lands against a backdrop of intensifying Russian bombardments. Kyiv endured a wave of drone and missile attacks over the weekend, with air-raid sirens echoing across multiple cities. Ukrainian officials claimed the new U.S. stance would allow them to "defend more effectively" against such assaults.
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Whether it translates into a broader Ukrainian offensive inside Russia remains uncertain. What is clear is that Washington has moved the line it once vowed not to cross. The authorisation may be either a bargaining chip in Trump's ongoing posture towards Moscow or the beginning of a new, riskier phase of the war.