Weapons deliveries
The United States has sent ATACMS missiles to Ukraine for the first time in recent weeks. Kiev has already used the missiles at least twice to hit targets far behind Russian lines.
Ukraine has used the rockets to target an airport in Crimea and Russian troops in southern Ukraine. Report that The New York Times and Reuters. US officials confirm that Ukraine has begun using the missiles.
Previously, the US had already supplied ATACMS missiles (Army Tactical Missile Systems) in a variant that can hit targets up to about 160 km. The missiles, which were now secretly delivered, could fly up to about 300 km. This allows it to reach targets further away in the occupied part of Ukraine, such as Crimea.
Ukraine, which is finding it increasingly difficult to hold out against aggressor Russia, has long been asking for the more powerful missiles. Kiev also immediately deployed it last Tuesday night, including against Russian troops in the Ukrainian port city of Berdjansk.
More than a hundred of these new, more powerful missiles have reportedly been sent. They were part of a 300 million euro delivery that US President Joe Biden approved in March. According to American security adviser Jake Sullivan, the US will supply more such missiles. “They will make a difference,” he says. “But as I said before: there is no silver bullet.”
Bend
The delivery is a notable turn for Biden. The Pentagon previously did not want to hand over too many longer-range missiles in order to remain sufficiently “militarily prepared” itself. There was also fear that Ukraine would use them for targets deep within Russia. But Russia itself deployed North Korean long-range missiles against Ukraine in December and January, despite public warnings. The fact that the rockets hit critical Ukrainian infrastructure also played a role, said a senior official who did not want to be named.
After the delivery, the Kremlin wants to push back Ukrainian troops further to expand its “buffer zone”.
