A Ukrainian serviceman, 27, with call sign Magician from the 93rd Separate Mechanized Brigade, checks an unmanned ground vehicle before running it on a training ground at an undisclosed location in eastern Ukraine on recently — AFP NEW YORK, Aug 24 (Reuters): The Pentagon has been quietly blocking Ukraine from using US-made long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to strike targets inside Russia, limiting Kyiv's ability to employ these weapons in its defense against Moscow's invasion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday, citing US officials.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The news came as US President Donald Trump has grown more frustrated publicly over the three-year-old war and his inability to secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.
After his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a subsequent meeting with European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky failed to produce observable progress, Trump said on Friday that he was again considering slapping Russia with economic sanctions or, alternatively, walking away from the peace process.
"I'm going to make a decision as to what we do and it's going to be, it's going to be a very important decision, and that's whether or not it's massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both, or we do nothing and say it's your fight," Trump said.
Trump had hoped to arrange a bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelensky, but that has also proven difficult. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told NBC on Friday that there was no agenda in place for a sitdown with Zelensky.
"Putin is ready to meet with Zelensky when the agenda would be ready for a summit. And this agenda is not ready at all," Lavrov told NBC, saying no meeting was planned for now.
As the White House sought to persuade Putin to join peace talks, an approval process put in place at the Pentagon has kept Ukraine from launching strikes deep into Russian territory, the Journal reported.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has final say over use of the long-range weapons, the Journal said.
Ukraine drone attack causes fire, capacity reduction at Russia's Kursk nuclear power plant
"A combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine was shot down by air defence systems near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant," the press service said in a statement
Ukraine drone causes fire
at Russia's N power plant
A Ukrainian drone attack sparked a short-lived fire at the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, damaged an auxiliary transformer and led to reduction in the operating capacity at one of the plant's units, the plant's press service reported early on Sunday.
"A combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to the Armed Forces of Ukraine was shot down by air defence systems near the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant," the press service said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.
"Upon impact, the drone detonated, resulting in damage to an auxiliary transformer."
The press service added that there were no injuries, but as a result of the denotation, unit three of the plant was reduced to 50% capacity. The destroyed drone also sparked a fire that has since been extinguished, the press service said.
Radiation levels at the site and in the surrounding area have not exceeded normal limits, the press service added.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine. Kyiv has said its strikes inside Russia are in response to Russia's continued attacks on Ukraine and are aimed at destroying infrastructure deemed crucial to Moscow's overall military efforts.
Reuters could not independently verify the report.
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