The US keeps a watchful eye on Ukrainian soldiers as they advance into Russia while receiving US weapons.
Concerns have been raised over whether Kyiv has adhered to the Biden administration's constraints on the use of US weapons as the US has kept a close eye on Ukrainian forces as they have advanced farther into Russian territory, assisted in part by US-provided armaments and equipment.
Although the Biden administration did place restrictions on the use of US weapons in Russia, two US officials claim that Ukraine has utilized US vehicles and equipment as part of its attack. The authorities said that Ukraine had not "technically" violated the restrictions set by the US, but they did not specify the precise borders the US drew.
In a photo obtained by Reuters on Tuesday, US-built Humvees were observed coming into Russia's Kursk region from the Ukraine-Russia border crossing close to Sudzha.
According to authorities, Ukraine has also utilized HIMARS rocket launchers in the operation. However, the vehicles seem to have stayed within Ukrainian territory, utilizing its GMLRS missile range to target Russia.
On Thursday, the Russian Ministry of Defense unveiled drone footage that showed a HIMARS rocket-launching vehicle firing missiles in a forested location less than five miles from the border between Russia and Ukraine. US authorities stated that there has been no change in the US's limitations on the employment of long-range ATACMS missiles. Russia's air defense installations in Crimea, which is under Russian occupation, have been targeted by Ukrainian missiles.
The Russian foreign ministry claimed on Friday that the attack that killed volunteers attempting to rescue residents was most likely carried out by Ukraine using HIMARS to demolish a bridge across the Seym river in the Kursk area.
The degree to which US vehicles have been utilized in the Kursk operation thus far is unknown.
Pictures purportedly depicting a wrecked Ukrainian convoy in the Kursk region have been circulating on pro-Russian Telegram accounts. Although CNN is unable to pinpoint the precise location of the images, one of the wrecked cars is a US-built Cougar MRAP.
The military of Ukraine has reportedly employed US-built Stryker combat vehicles, which can transport soldiers across a battlefield, according to a US official. CNN was unable to confirm the assertion that a military attack struck a US-made Stryker vehicle in a forested region, as seen in video supplied by the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, the leader of the Ukrainian army, stated on Friday that the force is still progressing "in certain areas from 1 to 3 kilometers," despite having already advanced around 35 kilometers into Russian territory. Due to the operation, Russia is now forced to fight the continuing Ukrainian raid by bringing in soldiers from the front lines.
"In general, everything are under control. Everything is happening as planned, according to Syrskyi.
According to two US sources, the US drew a box north of Ukraine where Russian forces were conducting operations and told Kyiv to limit the use of US weaponry there. The officials stated that Ukraine's invasion has stayed inside its boundaries and that the operation has not breached US policy governing the use of American weaponry against Russia, but they did not specify the precise position or size of the geographic box.
Officials claim that the operation has not "technically" violated US-imposed constraints because it has stayed inside the designated region. According to one source, the Ukrainian attack complies with US policy "letter of the law," but it's "not what we had in mind."
Regarding Ukraine's strategy, which authorities claim has had a "surprising" level of success, the US has not officially stated its stance.
The Biden administration has neither given Kyiv orders to withdraw its troops from the country, nor has it offered the operation its whole backing. Rather, the administration has exercised caution when declaring outright that it will persist in supporting Ukraine's self-defense capabilities.
"The United States will persist in providing assistance to them in safeguarding their territory against Russian aggression," National Security Council strategic communications coordinator John Kirby stated to CNN on Friday.
The Kremlin's tardy reaction to the incursion, which is the first time Russia has lost sovereign land since invading Ukraine more than two years ago, has also taken authorities by surprise.
It appears that in order to confront the territorial loss in the Kursk area, Russia has pulled at least a few thousand troops from the front lines of combat in occupied Ukraine. As the US waits to see where Russia will find the personnel, one US official predicted that Russia will eventually need to send additional troops to the region to bolster its own defenses.
Senior US officials have been attempting to learn more about Kyiv's intentions in launching the incursion into Russia in the meanwhile. The US is still unsure of the operation's long-term objective, and Ukraine failed to notify Washington of the incursion beforehand.
The goal of the cross-border assault, according to an assistant to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is to force Russia to suffer "significant tactical defeats" and establish a "fair negotiation process."
Mykhailo Podolyak, an assistant to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, stated on social media that "negative changes in the psychological state of the Russian population will be another argument for the start of negotiations."
According to authorities, there is little doubt that Russia will respond, even if it may take some time. According to Ukraine, it has taken over 400 square kilometers of Russian land, causing the Russian government to declare an emergency and organize a mass evacuation.
In a conversation with Rustem Umerov, his counterpart in Ukraine, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attempted to find out more about the goals of the attack, which began over two weeks ago.
Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh stated, "We are engaging with the Ukrainians throughout the department in an effort to better understand their objectives."
Singh flinched when asked if Austin had told Umerov that he was in favor of the operation.
"I can assure you that we support Ukraine in its efforts to defend itself," the speaker remarked.
