Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated on Monday that the U.S. might face “fatal consequences” for permitting Ukraine to use American arms to strike Russian targets.
Germany also allowed Ukraine on Friday to use its weaponry against Russian targets to defend Kharkiv. The Netherlands, Finland, and Poland supported Ukraine’s right to defend itself from attacks originating from Russian territory, as did NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.
“I urge American leaders to avoid miscalculations that could have fatal outcomes. For unknown reasons, they underestimate the seriousness of the response they may face,” Ryabkov stated on Monday, as quoted by Russian state media.
Ryabkov mentioned that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has issued “a very significant warning, and it must be taken with utmost seriousness.”
Putin remarked last Tuesday that the “constant escalation” of Western nations backing Ukraine, culminating in their allowance of Ukraine to use their weapons against targets in Russia, could “lead to serious consequences.”
“If these serious consequences occur in Europe, what will the reaction of the United States be, given our parity in strategic weapons? It’s difficult to predict. Do they seek a global conflict?” Putin rhetorically questioned.
To emphasize his veiled threat of nuclear war, Putin added that European nations with “small territories and dense populations” should be particularly cautious about provoking Russia.
“This isn’t the first instance of Kyiv attempting to disrupt the normal function of significant parts of our military organization, especially those related to the strategic sphere. These intentions will be thwarted by us. Our responses could be asymmetrical,” he asserted.
Russian Defense Ministry officials and military bloggers alleged on Monday that Ukraine fired a U.S.-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) at Belgorod, a Russian city roughly 25 miles north of the Ukrainian border. The governor of the Belgorod region reported that two city officials were killed in the assault, three others were injured, and six civilians were also hurt.
Ukrainian media also reported on Monday that a HIMARS was fired into Belgorod, targeting a Russian S-300/400 air defense system.
A Telegram post by a group of Russian independent journalists named ASTRA claimed a Russian Defense Ministry base in the Korocha district of Belgorod was “attacked,” resulting in “several pieces of military equipment burning down.”
“After the fire was extinguished, a projectile detonated, causing the death of the district’s security council secretary, Igor Nechiporenko, and injuring the head of the district administration along with three servicemen from the Russian Defense Ministry,” stated ASTRA, corroborating the Belgorod governor’s remarks about the fatalities of city officials during the attack.
