Putin warns West risks war if it backs Ukraine long-range strikes

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the West that allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia would be considered a direct participation of NATO countries in the war in Ukraine. Putin stated that Ukraine would require data from Western satellites to carry out such strikes, implying that the West would be directly involved in the conflict. In contrast, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been requesting permission from Kyiv's allies to fire Western missiles deep into Russian territory. US and UK officials have discussed easing rules on firing Western weapons into Russia, but President Biden has refused to allow Ukraine to use Western missiles on Russian military targets. Russia has also claimed to have recaptured a swath of territory in its western Kursk region.