Western restrictions on how Ukraine can hit targets in Russia make its F-16 fighter jets less effective, military experts told Business Insider. Many of Ukraine's allies, including the US, don't allow it to use the long-range weapons they've supplied to hit targets freely on Russian soil. This means that Ukraine can't destroy the source of many of Russia's attacks, and instead has to try to stop each one as it comes - which is a much more difficult task.
George Barros, a Russia analyst at the US-based Institute for the Study of War, said the relationship between Western limitations and the effectiveness of Ukraine's F-16s is "under-appreciated." He said that current restrictions mean Ukraine can only strike in a limited area, which allows Russia to concentrate its air defenses in those regions. Allowing Ukraine to shoot missiles further into Russia would force Russia to make difficult decisions.
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