The New York Times reported on July 4 that Ukraine had used the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) provided by the United States to attack Russian territory near the Russian border, destroying a missile launch system. This was revealed by Oleksiy Chernyshov, deputy chairman of the Ukrainian parliament's security committee, in an interview with The New York Times. This is the first time a Ukrainian official has officially confirmed the use of US-supplied weapons to attack Russian territory near the Ukrainian border since the Biden administration allowed Ukraine to use the weapons for such attacks. According to Chernyshov, the destroyed missile launch system was a surface-to-air missile system deployed in Russia's Belgorod region.

This incident marks the first time Ukraine has officially acknowledged an attack on Russian territory near the border, signifying a new phase in the war with Russia. There is no way to rule out the possibility that Ukraine will further intensify attacks on Russian territory in the future. This incident also officially confirms that the US has allowed weapons provided to Ukraine to be used for attacks on Russian territory, suggesting that the US could increase its support for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia has strongly condemned the Ukrainian attack and hinted at the possibility of further retaliatory measures. Russia claims that the Ukrainian attack threatens the safety of Russian territory and is likely to intensify military operations against Ukraine. The war between Russia and Ukraine is expected to escalate further, and the international community is watching the course of this war closely.