The Kremlin has issued a warning that Russia will "retaliate accordingly" if the United States allows Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS missiles for strikes deep within Russian territory, a decision Moscow suspects has already been made, Reuters reports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly urged the West to permit the use of these long-range weapons, and US President Joe Biden stated on Tuesday that his administration is "now working on this issue" when asked about the possibility of lifting restrictions on Ukraine's missile usage, such as ATACMS.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov informed reporters that Washington appears to have already decided to permit Ukraine to employ these weapons for long-range strikes inside Russia. He warned that Moscow would "respond appropriately" should this happen but noted that a response may not be immediate in every instance.

"A special military operation (SMO) is the answer to all these cases," Peskov said, using the term favored by the Kremlin for the war in Ukraine. He added that each decision made by Western nations and adopted by Ukraine further reinforces the "necessity and inevitability" of the military operation.

To date, Washington has refrained from supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles capable of striking Russia, out of concern over potential escalation. However, according to Reuters sources, the US is nearing an agreement to provide these weapons to Ukraine, though Kyiv will need to wait several months as administrative and technical procedures for their supply are resolved.