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Military operation in Ukraine

Kiev may use US rocket systems for massive bombardments of Lugansk Republic, says LPR head

US officials earlier said that the strike range of a light HIMARS wheeled rocket launcher would not exceed 80 km

LUGANSK, June 3. /TASS/. Ukraine may use US HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) weapons for massive and destructive bombardments of the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), LPR Head Leonid Pasechnik told TASS on Friday.

"Over all these eight years, the Ukrainian armed forces have been killing residents of the Lugansk and Donetsk People’s Republics and destroying the region’s infrastructure with the US financial and military support. Kiev may use US new and powerful rocket systems just in the same way for massive and destructive bombardments of our territories," he said.

The LPR leader drew attention to Washington’s pledge that the rocket systems would not be used against Russian territory.

"A logical question arises in this regard: what territory will they fire at then? Such statements by the Pentagon undoubtedly cause our quite serious concerns. We will be forced to take enhanced measures so that Kiev does not begin using these weapons," he said.

The US administration announced on June 1 that it would provide a new military aid package to Ukraine that would include the delivery of HIMARS rocket systems and ammunition.

US officials earlier said that the strike range of a light HIMARS wheeled rocket launcher would not exceed 80 km. As the US administration insisted, Kiev gave assurances that the US rocket systems would not be used against targets on Russian territory. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on June 2 that Kiev’s assurances to the effect that it would not use US rockets against targets on Russian territory were worthless and could not be trusted.

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Military operation in Ukraine

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