EU’s Borrell urges Ukraine backers to lift curbs on arms use inside Russia

The European Union’s top diplomat has ramped up pressure on Ukraine’s supporters to lift the restrictions on the use of Western weapons inside Russia.

In advance of a meeting in Brussels of the bloc’s foreign and defence ministers, foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Thursday that curbs on the use of weapons against Russian targets needed to be lifted in accordance with international law.

“The weaponry that we are providing to Ukraine has to have full use, and the restrictions have to be lifted in order for the Ukrainians to be able to target the places where Russia is bombing them,” Borrell told reporters.

“Otherwise, the weaponry is useless.”

The Ukrainian Air Force announced on Thursday that it had destroyed 60 of 74 Russian attack drones and two out of five missiles during an overnight attack.

The air force said it lost track of 14 of the drones, which have likely fallen on Ukrainian territory.

Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration, said falling debris damaged windows and caused a fire in a residential building, which was later extinguished.Ukraine is pushing its Western allies for additional air defences and support in jointly shooting down targets over the country to repel Russia’s intense drone attacks.

Last month, Ukraine said it needs 25 Patriot air defence systems to defend its airspace.

Ukraine is also asking for restrictions to be lifted on the use of Western weapons so it can strike military targets in Russia.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who spoke alongside Borrell on Thursday, said allies would have to blame themselves if Russia wins.

“The success of Russia depends on one thing: on the preparedness of partners to make bold decisions. If decisions are taken, Ukraine is successful on the ground. If they are not taken, then do not complain on Ukraine, complain on yourself,” he said.

He added that Ukraine only wants to strike “legitimate military targets” in Russia.

“If we are supplied a sufficient amount of missiles, if we are allowed to strike, we will significantly decrease the capacity of Russia to inflict damage on our critical infrastructure and we will improve the situation of our forces on the ground,” he said.

Ukraine’s military confirmed on Thursday that it had attacked an artillery depot and two oil storage facilities in Russia on Wednesday, as it says its assaults aim to destroy energy, transport and military infrastructure key to Moscow’s war effort.