Trump Administration Quietly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Western Long-Range Missiles Inside Russia

Key Facts

Published: October 22, 2025 Location: Washington D.C. Source: Wall Street Journal

• Trump administration lifts restriction on Ukraine’s use of long-range Western missiles inside Russia.
• Ukrainian Storm Shadow strike hits Russian rocket fuel plant in Bryansk.
• Decision transfers attack-approval authority from Pentagon to NATO’s top U.S. commander in Europe.
• Trump rebuffs Zelensky’s request for Tomahawk missiles but urges renewed pressure on the Kremlin.

by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff

(Worthy News) – The Trump administration has quietly lifted a major restriction on Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles supplied by Western allies, allowing Kyiv to expand its attacks on Russian territory, according to U.S. officials cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Ukraine’s military confirmed Tuesday that it used a British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missile to strike a plant in Bryansk, Russia, that produces explosives and rocket fuel. The attack was described as a “successful hit” that pierced Russian air defenses.

The move comes as authority for approving such cross-border strikes has shifted from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the top American commander in Europe and NATO’s supreme allied commander.

STRATEGIC SHIFT

The policy change aligns with President Donald J. Trump’s push earlier this month to pressure the Kremlin toward peace negotiations. Trump had floated—but later walked back—the idea of sending U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, which have a range exceeding 1,000 miles.

Although Storm Shadows have been used before, the lifted restriction effectively broadens Kyiv’s operational reach into Russian territory. These missiles, launched from Ukrainian aircraft, can travel over 180 miles and rely on U.S. targeting data—giving Washington leverage over their use.

A White House spokesperson said, “This is a war that never would have happened had President Trump been President, something President Putin himself acknowledged. The President is trying to get it stopped. He also negotiated a historic agreement to allow NATO allies to purchase American-made weapons.”

The Pentagon declined to comment on the policy shift.

RETURN OF AUTHORITY TO EUROPEAN COMMAND

The new decision reverses an earlier post-Biden administration procedure requiring direct approval from the U.S. defense secretary for any cross-border missile strikes. No such strikes had been approved until authority was delegated back to U.S. European Command in recent weeks.

Col. Martin O’Donnell, a NATO spokesman, said, “Ukraine is incredibly capable itself of striking deep inside Russia at legitimate military targets that enable the Kremlin’s senseless war. It does not need our permission.”

TRUMP’S PEACE PUSH AND NATO DIPLOMACY

The timing of the decision coincided with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington last week, where he sought U.S. Tomahawk missiles to bolster Kyiv’s long-range strike power. Trump ultimately rejected the request.

Analysts say that rejection limits the West’s leverage with Moscow, even as Ukraine continues targeting Russian energy facilities using domestically built drones and the new “Flamingo” cruise missile, capable of striking up to 1,800 miles.

Trump had also expressed interest in holding a second peace summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest, but talks quickly broke down. He later called the idea a “waste of time.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte met with Trump at the White House on Wednesday to discuss next steps in Ukraine and alliance defense coordination.

Sen. Angus King (I–Maine) said after his meeting with Rutte, “If we could have some control over the targeting—ensuring it’s limited to military facilities—it would strengthen Ukraine’s position and signal to Putin he cannot win this war.”

FUTURE MISSILE SUPPLY

The U.S. recently approved the sale of more than 3,000 Extended Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles to Ukraine, with ranges between 150 and 280 miles. Kyiv also retains a small stockpile of U.S.-made Atacms missiles, though it remains unclear whether Washington will authorize their renewed use against targets inside Russia.

In a joint statement Tuesday, European leaders and President Zelensky vowed to “ramp up pressure on Russia’s economy and its defense industry until President Putin is ready to make peace.”

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