Kharkiv under attack: Maps show why Biden approved Ukrainian strikes inside Russia

Russian battlefield gains in Ukraine have prompted a new approach from the Biden administration on where and how Ukraine can use U.S.-supplied weapons on targets within Russia.

President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use certain U.S. weapons on military bases and infrastructure inside Russia's border. This decision is in response to recent Russian advances, including the seizure of nearly 100 square miles of land near Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.

Kharkiv has come under intensified attacks over the past month as Russia opened a new front in its offensive operations. Until now, the U.S. had imposed limits on the use of weapons systems it supplies, forbidding Ukrainians to hit targets inside Russia, allowing Russian to continue striking the city from within the relative safety of its own territory, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Policy shift:Biden OKs Ukraine's use of US weapons inside Russia in major shift

Where has Russia advanced in Ukraine?

On May 10, Russia launched a major ground assault across the border, capturing several villages in Ukraine's northeastern region of Kharkiv. Russia seized about 99 square miles of Ukrainian between May 9 and May 15 — its biggest gains in 18 months — according to Agence France Presse estimates based on data from the Institute for the Study of War.

About 20,000 people were evacuated from Kharkiv and nearby Sumy as of Tuesday, according to Iryna Vereshchuk, Ukraine's deputy prime minister. The aim of the offensive was probably to stretch an already critical Ukrainian defensive line and possibly bring Kharkiv, home to some 1.5 million people, into the range of heavy artillery, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Kharkiv has been the target of frequent missile attacks for two years, but a Ukrainian counteroffensive in September 2022 pushed the invading forces out of most of the region. This included Vovchansk, which had a pre-war population of 17,000 — the city is three miles from the Russian border and has been a hotspot for fighting.

Russia has also launched a separate assault in the direction of Lyptsi village, so its forces could position artillery within range of Kharkiv which lies 20 minutes down the road.

The UK Ministry of Defense says Ukrainian forces have slowed down the pace of Russian offensive and repelled the attacks. ISW reports that Ukraine has managed to regain several positions, but Russia may launch another assault on the area.

45 civilians have been killed and 189 injured in Kharkiv region and city since Russia began the offensive, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine.

On May 16, the residents of Kharkiv region experienced the longest air raid alert since the start of the full-scale invasion. Telegram posts indicate that It lasted over 16 and a half hours during which several drone attacks were reported.

At least 18 people were killed and 48 were wounded after Russian forces hit a Kharkiv home improvement store May 25 with two glide bombs, according to Oleh Syniehubov, the governor of the Kharkiv region. It was the deadliest attack in several weeks.

Russia's use of glide bombs a factor

Russian forces have been pummeling Kharkiv with missile strikes, drones and glide bombs. These cheap but destructive bombs are built by adding fold-out wings and satellite navigation to old Soviet bombs. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 3,200 glide bombs were dropped on Ukraine this month.

Ukraine still urgently needs another seven U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems, according to Zelenskyy. With a range of 99 miles, Patriot missile defense systems could deter or take down the incoming Russian planes dropping glide bombs.

The United States will provide a new $275 million military aid package for Ukraine to help the country repel Russia’s assault on Kharkiv, according to a statement from the US Department of Defense released on Friday. It includes ammunition for HIMARS, 155 mm and 105 mm artillery rounds, missiles and precision aerial munitions.

Contributing: Tom Vanden Brook, Shawn J. Sullivan

SOURCES: Reuters; Globalsecurity.com; CNN; USA TODAY research