The President Joe Biden Russia has authorized Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS missiles inside Russia, something Biden had so far specifically prohibited, two US officials confirmed to ABC News on Sunday.
The use of ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles, which have a range of 190 miles inside Russia, means that Ukraine will begin using them in Kursk, where 50,000 Russian troops, including 10,000 North Koreans, are trying to retake what Ukraine captured. a few months ago
In a late-night address to the nation, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said restrictions on longer-range rockets had been lifted: “Strikes are not delivered with words. Such things are not announced. The rockets will speak for themselves.”
The US previously provided Ukraine with shorter-range ATACM missiles equipped with cluster munitions that could only be used on Ukrainian territory captured by Russia. But Ukraine has been lobbying for a long time to use the longer-range ATACMS to penetrate Russia.
This handout photo taken by the U.S. Department of Defense on Dec. 14, 2021 shows the U.S. Army conducting live-fire tests of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
John Hamilton/DoD/AFP via Getty Images
US officials have publicly pushed back on how effective such a system would be and have stated that the US does not have such missiles in large numbers. Instead, U.S. officials have touted Ukraine’s long-range drones as a much cheaper and larger-than-life alternative that has proven effective at striking inside Russia. And the Biden administration was concerned about crossing a red line with Russia, which has warned Ukraine to stop using long-range weapons.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
