Putin warns NATO of war if Ukraine is allowed to strike inside Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stark warning to the West on Thursday, stating that allowing Ukraine to use longer-range weapons to strike targets within Russia would put NATO in direct conflict with Moscow.

Putin’s comments followed discussions between U.S. and U.K. officials regarding Kyiv’s demand for eased restrictions on firing Western-supplied weapons into Russia, over two and a half years into the war. The warning raised concerns about the potential escalation of the ongoing conflict.

“This would in a significant way change the very nature of the conflict,” Putin told state television. “It would mean that NATO countries, the U.S., European countries, are at war with Russia.”

He added that Russia would respond accordingly, based on the threats it would face in such a scenario.

Kyiv seeks flexibility for strikes

Putin’s remarks came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during a press conference in Warsaw, promised to review Ukraine’s request for more leeway to use Western-supplied weapons to hit Russian military targets. Blinken emphasized the United States would “adjust” and “adapt” to ensure Ukraine could defend itself effectively against Russian aggression.

Kyiv has been urging Washington for greater flexibility to strike Russian airfields and other critical military sites that lie far beyond the front lines. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky argued that restrictions on targeting Russian territory were enabling Moscow to relocate military assets deeper inside Russia.

“The delay in this process leads to Russia moving these military targets deeper into Russia,” Zelensky said.

Moscow claims gains in Kursk Region

As tensions over Western-supplied weapons grew, Moscow announced its forces had recaptured territory in the western Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces had made significant advances in recent weeks. Russia’s defense ministry reported that its troops had liberated 10 settlements in the area over two days, countering Kyiv’s earlier incursion.

Ukraine launched a surprise attack on the Kursk region in early August, advancing several kilometers into Russian territory. The offensive, described as the largest foreign incursion into Russia since World War II, caught Moscow off guard. However, Russian forces have since launched counterattacks to regain control of the region.

Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv, Zelensky acknowledged the Russian counteroffensive but maintained that Ukraine’s plans were still progressing.

Conflict escalates in Eastern Ukraine

In addition to the fighting in Kursk, Moscow has intensified its military pressure in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where some of the war’s heaviest battles are taking place. The Ukrainian government reported that Russian shelling killed three Ukrainian aid workers in the region, an attack that Zelensky condemned as “another Russian war crime.”

Meanwhile, Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub in eastern Ukraine, faced new hardships as the city administration reported that Russian forces had cut off its water supply.

Zelensky also claimed that a cargo ship bound for Egypt carrying Ukrainian wheat was hit by a Russian missile in the Black Sea, following its departure from Ukrainian waters.

As the war enters its third year, Kyiv continues to push for more military support from its Western allies while Moscow remains steadfast in its aim to expel Ukrainian forces from contested territories. The situation remains highly volatile as both sides brace for the possibility of a broader conflict.