Russia will expand Ukraine 'buffer zone' if Kyiv gets longer range missiles, says Kremlin

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Russia would further expand its "buffer zone" inside Ukraine if Kyiv takes delivery of longer-range ATACM missiles from the United States that allow it to strike deeper inside Russia.

The United States is preparing a $1 billion military aid package for Ukraine, the first to be sourced from the yet to be signed Ukraine-Israel bill, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday.

When asked about the possibility that the package would include longer-range ATACM missiles, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's stance on the subject - that it will be forced to expand what it calls a buffer zone in Ukraine if longer-range missiles are delivered - had not changed.