A view shows a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) is being fired in an undisclosed location, in Ukraine in this still image obtained from an undated social media video uploaded on June 24, 2022 via Pavlo Narozhnyy/via REUTERS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ukraine has not used advanced U.S.-made high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) to strike Russian targets outside of Ukraine territory, a senior U.S. defense official said on Friday, disputing Russian accusations.
"The Russian claims about using HIMARS to strike outside of Ukrainian territory - those claims are false," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"Ukraine is using those capabilities to fight the battle that its forces are facing, and they are using them effectively in that battle."
The United States started providing the key precision rocket weapon system to Ukraine last month after receiving assurances from Kyiv that it would not use them to hit targets inside Russian territory, a potentially escalatory move that could broaden the conflict.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
