米、ウクライナへの攻撃能力供与否定 ロシア領内攻撃めぐり

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】ロシア領内の軍事関連施設に対する相次ぐ無人機攻撃について、米国のアントニー・ブリンケン国務長官は６日、「ウクライナにそうした攻撃を可能にする能力を供与したことはない」と述べた。（写真ブリンケン国務長官〈右から２人目〉）
　ロシア国防省は５日、南西部の飛行場２か所でウクライナによる無人機攻撃があり、３人が死亡したと発表した。
　ロシアの報道によると、ウラジーミル・プーチン大統領は一連の攻撃を受けて安全保障会議を招集した。一方、ウクライナ政府は自軍による攻撃だと認めていないが、ロシア側の発表を否定もしていない。
　ブリンケン氏は記者団に対し「われわれはウクライナ軍によるロシア国内に対する攻撃を促したことも、可能にさせたこともない」と述べた。
　米国はこれまで、自国軍や北大西洋条約機構（ＮＡＴＯ）軍とロシア軍の直接衝突につながるのを恐れて、ロシア国内を攻撃できる射程３００キロの長距離地対地ミサイル「エータクムス（ＡＴＡＣＭＳ）」をウクライナ軍に提供することを控えてきた。
　専門家は、ウクライナはロシアのクルスク、リャザニ、サラトフ各州の飛行場への攻撃を可能にするため、旧ソ連時代の長距離偵察用無人機を独自改造したとの見方を示している。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2022/12/07-12:58）

The United States said Tuesday it has not encouraged Ukraine to strike into Russia after drone attacks on bases widely seen as carried out by Kyiv.
We have neither encouraged nor enabled the Ukrainians to strike inside of Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters.
But the important thing is to understand what Ukrainians are living through every day with the ongoing Russian aggression, he said, accusing Russia of weaponizing winter through attacks on civilian infrastructure.
Blinken vowed our determination to make sure that they have in their hands -- along with many other partners around the world -- the equipment that they need to defend themselves, to defend their territory, to defend their freedom.
Experts believe Ukraine penetrated Russian airspace with simple Soviet-era drones and not any of the billions of dollars in military assistance given by Western powers since Moscow's February 24 invasion.
Speaking next to Blinken after talks with their Australian counterparts, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington was not stopping Ukraine from developing long-range missiles on its own.
The short answer is no. We're absolutely not doing that, Austin said.
We are not working to prevent Ukraine from developing their own capability, he said.
Russia said three people were killed and two aircraft damaged in the attacks Monday on three bases deep into its territory.
State Department spokesman Ned Price, asked earlier about the drone attacks, stopped short of attributing them to Ukraine, which has not claimed responsibility.
We are providing Ukraine with what it needs to use on its sovereign territory -- on Ukrainian soil -- to take on Russian aggressors, Price told reporters.
Price declined comment on a Wall Street Journal report that the United States has altered HIMARS sent to Ukraine -- a rocket system seen as a game-changer on the battlefield -- to prevent firing into Russia.
President Joe Biden has publicly said that Washington will not offer longer-range missile capacities for Ukraine, fearing an escalation that would pit the United States more directly against Russia.