US authorization for strikes on Russia won't escalate war in Ukraine

"Russia has already escalated it. They (the occupiers) do not focus to the people, so they strike the hospitals, they strike the civilian places. We want to protect people. We wanna target only military targets. That is why we wanna change the lens to the functional, to protect our cities. Because they are hitting our cities, critical infrastructure, and they are killing people," he said.

Therefore, according to Umerov, Ukraine needs more air defense and more weapons to protect Ukrainians.

"We are able and capable to win. We have a plan and are voicing out that we need more weapons. Hesitation to provide us with weapons, hesitation to provide us permits, and lifting bans—this takes time. Time is crucial, but we are capable, and we are able to do it," the minister stated.

Strikes on Russian territory

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, Western partners have been helping Kyiv fight against Russian aggression by supplying humanitarian aid and weapons. The main condition for their use is not to strike Russian territory.

At the beginning of July, it was reported that officials in the U.S. and the West insisted that the White House lift all restrictions on the use of American weapons by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian territory.

Earlier, according to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, the U.S. allowed the Ukrainian Armed Forces to attack on Russian territory only those units and objects that were preparing to strike Ukraine or Ukrainian positions or were already attacking them.

Recently, the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck S-300 and S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems in the Belgorod region. The enemy used them to shell Kharkiv.