The United States is about to supply ATACMS long-range missiles to Ukraine

The United States is considering approving the delivery of long-range missiles to Ukraine that could hit Russian targets from far from the front lines, according to a senior Ukrainian defense official, The Guardian reported, citing the Wall Street Journal.

According to the media, a senior Ukrainian defense official told the newspaper that Kiev has received positive signals in recent weeks that the United States is about to provide ATACMS missiles. Ukrainian officials have said the long-range missiles are needed, in part, to strike Russia-occupied Crimea, which Russian forces use as a base for launching Iranian-made drones, according to public statements by the United States and its European allies.

Publicly, Ukraine’s military-political leadership has been persistently pushing the request for the United States to deliver the Army’s Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. These missiles can be launched from M142 HIMARS or M270 launchers, and have a range of up to 300 km (190 miles).

These missiles will increase the operational depth of targeting Russian forces in Ukraine. The range of the missiles is sufficient for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to strike Russian targets far from the front lines as well as to target supply routes to weaken the Russian forces. That is why Ukraine desperately wants its army to receive the ATACMS system in order to speed up the liberation of the territories controlled by the Russians.