Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, told CNN that Ukraine could begin to target inside Russian borders.
Western allies prohibited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy from using Western weapons to strike inside its adversary’s nation. According to Ukraine's officials, attacks have been at its borders, not directly inside.
Danilov told CNN that Ukraine does not need to use weapons from the West to attack Russia inside its borders.
“Nobody prohibits us to destroy targets with weapons produced in Ukraine,” Danilov said to CNN. “Do we have such weapons? Yes, we do.”
This is not the first occurrence of Ukrainian officials touting a more aggressive offensive. Head of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, told ABC News in January that such measures were not off the table.
“Crimea is Ukrainian territory, we can use any weapon on our territory,” Budanov said in an interview with ABC News. Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea in 2014.
After a December attack on a Russian military base not in Ukraine, Budanov stated attacks would strike “deeper and deeper” inside Russia.
Danilov also said President Joe Biden would eventually send F-16 fighter jets to support Ukraine.
“It's only a matter of time before we get F-16s,” Danilov told CNN. “They will definitely come.”
Ukraine has already received tanks. Western nations are still holding out from fighter jets, although some European leaders have suggested a willingness to provide such support.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said during a press conference in January that the aircraft would be provided as long as it is in agreement with other NATO countries. Poland would “act in full coordination,” said Morawiecki.
The head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, posted on his Telegram channel that “The work on obtaining F-16 fighters is ongoing. We have positive signals from Poland.”
F-16 fighter jet support would also come from the Netherlands, as the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wopke Hoekstra, said the option is not off the table.
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