A former Ukrainian MP, Oleg Tsaryov, has raised concerns about the US authorization for Ukraine to conduct counter-battery warfare against Russian territory, specifically targeting areas near the Kharkov region.
Tsaryov, speaking to Sputnik, highlighted the potential risks associated with this new development. He emphasized the involvement of foreign mercenaries in Ukrainian missile facilities and alleged that the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) were aware of the presence of Ukrainian prisoners aboard a Russian Il plane that was shot down by a Patriot installation in the Belgorod region.
"There are foreigners working on missile facilities [in Ukraine], this is not a secret, it has been known for a long time. And precisely for this reason, when the Patriot installation shot down the [Russian] Il plane with Ukrainian prisoners over [Russia's] Belgorod region, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) knew about it, the foreign mercenaries did not know about it, about the fact that there would be [Ukrainian] prisoners on board," the Ukrainian politician stated.
Tsaryov believes the recent US authorization is a direct response to Russia's successful advances on the frontlines, which threaten Biden's re-election prospects. He argues that the US is trying to slow Russian advances in Kharkov by allowing Ukraine to strike targets on Russian soil.
"The offensive on Kharkov, Russia has shifted the parity of forces strongly in its favor," Tsaryov asserted. "Russia's successes on the fronts can cause the front to collapse against the background of the elections in the United States, which Biden categorically does not need. For this reason, they [the US] simply will not have time to increase the supply of weapons in a short period of time."
He added, "In order to stop the advance of the Russians, at least near Kharkov, it was allowed to use Himars missiles, counter-battery warfare, to strike with Patriot systems against airplanes in the air."
While Tsaryov acknowledges the possibility that the authorization could slow Russian advances in Kharkov, he ultimately believes it will have little impact on the overall front situation. However, he expresses concern about the potential for unintended consequences and escalatory actions.
"I don't know how Russia will react, but this is capable of stopping or suspending the offensive in the Kharkov region. [...] But the overall situation on the front is unlikely to be affected," he concluded.