On Thursday, Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has formulated response measures against the cross-border attack on Kursk region in Ukraine, aiming to punish those responsible for the attack on Russia.
According to Reuters, Russian state media TASS cited Antonov’s remarks in a report later on Thursday. The Russian diplomat said, “I sincerely tell you, the President has made a decision. I firmly believe that everyone will be severely punished for the events in Kursk region.”
Antonov did not provide further details about Putin’s plan, but prior to his statement, Putin held a meeting earlier on Thursday with senior officials, including governors of several border regions, to discuss the cross-border attacks launched by Ukraine in the past two weeks, marking the largest foreign invasion Russia has faced since World War II.
Antonov has served as the Russian ambassador to the United States since 2017. In a comment to the Russian state-owned news agency RIA, he warned that the US could at some point lift all usage restrictions on the weapons provided to Ukraine.
Antonov also criticized recent statements from Washington regarding Ukraine’s use of American weapons penetrating into Russian territory.
“Essentially, they are laying the groundwork to lift all existing restrictions at some point without hesitation,” he said.
Since 2022, the US has provided Ukraine with over $55 billion in military assistance, but these weapons are limited for use only within Ukrainian territory or for retaliation against Russian invasion and defensive cross-border military actions.
Ukraine stated that it used American-made weapons in Kursk, including glide bombs and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
Washington did not directly comment on Ukraine’s use of US-made weapons in Kursk but reiterated that US policy remains unchanged, supporting Ukraine in resisting Russia’s invasion.