US Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby has repeatedly recommended limiting arms supplies to Ukraine (PBS)
Thursday’s Coverage: US to Provide Intelligence for Kyiv’s Strikes Inside Russia
UPDATE 0655 GMT:
Ukrainian drones attacked the Azot chemical plant in Russia’s Perm Krai overnight.
The strike briefly disrupted production at the facility, one of Russia’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers and a key supplier of chemicals used in agriculture and explosives.
The plant is around 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled territory.
Perm Governor Dmitry Makhonin posted, “Azot experienced a brief interruption in production; the plant is now operating normally. There are no environmental threats, and residents’ safety is not at risk.”
UPDATE 0611 GMT:
The deputy leader of Russia’s Yabloko Party, which opposes the invasion of Ukraine, has been charged with spreading lies about the Russian army.
Maxim Kruglov, 38, a former member of Moscow city’s legislature, faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. He told a hearing on Thursday, from a glass cage in the courtroom, that the accusation against him was “absurd” and that he posed no danger to society.
Kruglov was charged over two posts on Telegram in 2022. His lawyer said he was harshly interrogated in the middle of the night and his home was searched.
ORIGINAL ENTRY: A “US official and three sources” have pushed back against provision of long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine, declaring that current inventories are committed to the American Navy and other uses.
Told that Ukraine’s strikes inside Russia, particularly on oil refineries and gas pipelines, are crippling the economy, Donald Trump has swung to endorsement of the attacks. Earlier this week, officials confirmed that the US has begun intelligence support of Ukrainian operations.
US officials have said the delivery of the Tomahawks is under consideration, and Vice President J.D. Vance confirmed on Sunday that discussions are ongoing.
But the other “US official” and sources who spoke to Reuters questioned the feasibility of providing the cruise missiles, which have a range of 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) and a precision-strike range of 1,600 kilometers (994 miles).
The official was not named, but Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby has repeatedly tried to limit arms to Ukraine this year. In the spring, citing a “review” of US stocks, he obtained Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s suspension of all deliveries. The decision was soon overturned amid pushback within the Pentagon and other agencies.
Reuters’ US official said there was no shortage of the Tomahawks and other shorter-distance options could be supplied to Kyiv. He added that the US may look into allowing European allies to buy other long-range weapons and deliver them to Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin blustered on Thursday at a forum in Sochi in southern Russia:
Using Tomahawks without the direct participation of American military personnel is impossible. This would mark a completely new, qualitatively new stage of escalation, including in relations between Russia and the United States.
He insisted that it would not change the situation on the battlefield.
