Secret Shipment of Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine
Last week, the United States discreetly delivered a new long-range missile system to Ukraine. The Ukrainian forces wasted no time and immediately utilized these weapons to launch attacks. The senior U.S. official revealed that Ukrainian troops targeted a Russian military airfield in Crimea last Wednesday and conducted strikes on Russian troops in the country’s southeast overnight on Tuesday.
Details of the Long-Range Missile System
The United States had previously provided Ukraine with a version of the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) that were armed with wide-spreading cluster munitions and could travel up to 100 miles. However, Ukraine had been eyeing the longer-range version of ATACMS, boasting a range of approximately 190 miles. This extended range allows Ukraine to reach deeper into the occupied territories, including Crimea and supply nodes for Russian forces in the southeast of the country.
According to the senior U.S. official, Ukraine used the longer-range missiles to target Russian troops in the port city of Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov overnight on Tuesday. Additionally, reports from social media accounts in Ukraine indicated significant fires and explosions at a military airfield in Dzhankoi, Crimea, which was identified as another target of the long-range ATACMS.
In a significant policy shift, President Biden gave his covert approval in mid-February to send over 100 of the longer-range missiles, along with more of the cluster munition variant. This decision was part of a $300 million weapons shipment to Ukraine in March, marking the first new aid package for the country since the funding ceased in late December.
