Ukraine war

Netherlands authorizes use of weapons in Russia

The authorization also explicitly applies to the Dutch F-16 jets.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

Ukraine has been pushing for some time to be able to direct weapons supplied by the West at targets on Russian territory. While the USA and Germany are still hesitating, the Netherlands is now venturing out of cover.

"Ukraine may use our weapons on Russian territory in order to defend itself in accordance with international law," Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans told the FAZ newspaper on Monday. He also encouraged other Western countries to lift the restrictions on the use of weapons supplied by them. Ukraine has a right to self-defense, Brekelmans said.

The aim of targeted attacks on targets in Russia (pictured is a drone unit of the Ukrainian army) is to destroy the invaders' supply routes and weaken their fighting power.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Genya SAVILOV)

"And if the country is attacked from border areas or from Russian airfields, then it can take aim at military targets. The same applies to enemy missiles - these can also be intercepted with our weapons over Russia." According to Brekelmans, this permission also explicitly applies to the promised F-16 fighter jets. The Dutch government trusts that Kiev will also deploy the F-16 jets in accordance with international law.

"International law is not limited by distance. The right to self-defense does not stop 100 kilometers from the border." The Netherlands had therefore "not imposed any operational restrictions on Ukraine in terms of distance", the Dutch minister explained. 

Pressure from Russians in the east remains very high
Ukraine has been fending off a large-scale Russian invasion for two and a half years with Western support. Kiev has come under massive pressure after aid deliveries from the USA came to a standstill for months due to a domestic political dispute in Washington. Partly due to a lack of weapons and material, the Ukrainian troops were unable to hold some important and well-fortified sections of the front. So far, the General Staff in Kiev has been unable to fully stabilize the situation in the east in particular. 

The onslaught by Russian troops against the Ukrainian defense lines on the edge of the Donbass, which has been going on for weeks, continued with full force on Sunday. In the course of the day, a total of 23 Russian attacks were repelled in the section in the east of the country, the General Staff in Kiev announced in its situation report. "The situation in the Pokrovsk sector remains tense", it said.

Similar heavy fighting was also reported from nearby Kuracheve. The Russian army had attempted to undermine the Ukrainian defenses there a total of 19 times. The information could not be independently verified. The Russian army has been trying to expand its positions around the Donbass for months.

Ukrainian counter-offensive
The Ukrainian counter-offensive in the western Russian region of Kursk, which began on August 6, has not halted Russia's advance either. On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the conquest of the Donbass, in which the Donetsk region is located, as the main objective of his military action in Ukraine.