The Ukrainian government has long been pushing to receive ATACMS missiles, capable of hitting Russian targets far behind the front line.
According to American media, US President Joe Biden intends to supply Ukraine with advanced long-range missiles to help Kiev in its counteroffensive.
These are ATACMS missiles, with a range of up to 300 km.
This would allow Kiev to strike Russian targets well behind the front line.
At least two Ukrainian missiles hit the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in annexed Crimea on Friday (22/9).
A Ukrainian military source told the BBC that the attack on the port of Sevastopol used Storm Shadow missiles, supplied by Britain and France.
These missiles have a range of just over 240 kilometers.
NBC News and the Wall Street Journal cite unnamed US officials as saying Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, that Kiev would receive “a small number” of ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles. The two leaders met on Thursday (9/21) at the White House.
The WSJ adds that the weapons will be shipped in the coming weeks.
However, the Washington Post cited several people familiar with the discussions as saying that Ukraine would arm the ATACMS with cluster bombs rather than individual warheads.
Neither the United States nor Ukraine have officially confirmed what was reported by the American press.
After talks between Biden and Zelensky, Washington announced a new tranche of $325 million (R$1.6 billion) in military aid – including artillery and ammunition – for Ukraine.
American Abrams tanks will be delivered to Kiev next week.
However, both presidents have been evasive on the ATACMS issue.
“I believe that on much of what we discussed yesterday with President Biden … we will be able to reach an agreement,” Zelensky said on Friday during a visit to Canada.
“YES, [isto é] a question of time. Not everything depends on Ukraine,” she added.
For months Kiev has been pushing for the deployment of the ATACMS to strengthen its harsh and bloody counteroffensive in the south.
Once in hand, the Ukrainian government argues that key Russian supply lines, command positions and other logistics centers far behind the front line could become easy targets, forcing Moscow to withdraw and making it difficult to resupply troops and weapons.
Russian positions in the occupied southern regions of Ukraine – including Crimea – would be particularly vulnerable, Kiev adds.
Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and the Biden administration was initially reluctant to provide Ukraine with modern weapons.
But since then, the American position has changed dramatically, and Kiev has received high-precision Himars long-range missile systems and Patriot air defense missiles.
Biden has been hesitant about ATACMS out of fear that such missiles could lead Russia to use nuclear weapons.
Source: Terra
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