Russia would consider the White House's authorization for Ukraine to use U.S.-made longer-range weapons within Russia to be the beginning of a "qualitatively new round of tensions" between Moscow and Washington, a Kremlin spokesperson said on Monday.

"Allowing Kyiv to strike deep inside Russia with U.S. long-range missiles, if such permission has actually been given, will mark a qualitatively new round of tensions and level of Washington's involvement in the Ukraine conflict," Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, said at his daily briefing.

President Joe Biden authorized the use of the weapons, ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile System, within the Russian Kursk region, two U.S. officials told ABC News on Sunday. The missiles have a range of about 190 miles.

Ukraine had not as of Monday morning used the weapons against Russian forces within Russia, a senior defense official said.

Officials in Kyiv, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had been calling for months for authorization to use such weapons within Russia. Kyiv has previously used the ATACMS to strike Russian bases within occupied Ukraine.

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