Ukrainian forces have received a significant boost in their ability to target Russian forces in occupied Crimea with the delivery of a coveted long-range missile system, senior Pentagon officials announced on Thursday.
The newly delivered Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) have a range of 190 miles, allowing Ukrainian forces to reach deeper into Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine and target supply nodes for Russian forces in the southeast. This delivery comes after months of requests from Ukraine, with the United States previously supplying a version of the system with a 100-mile range armed with cluster munitions.
The goal of these new longer-range systems is to increase pressure on Crimea, a key hub for Russian air and ground forces. Pentagon officials highlighted the importance of targeting this area, where Russia has had a relatively safe haven.
The exact number of long-range systems sent to Ukraine has not been disclosed, with the Biden administration opting to send them secretly to avoid alerting the Russians. This delivery was part of a $300 million aid package announced in March, the first new aid package for Ukraine since funding ran out in late December. Congress recently approved a new round of military assistance to Ukraine.
Recent reports indicate that Ukraine has already used the longer-range missiles to strike Russian troops in Berdiansk, with social media accounts in Ukraine reporting large fires and explosions at a military airfield in Crimea. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine thanked Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky for the successful attack but did not provide further details.
The decision to send more than 100 of the longer-range systems to Ukraine marks a major policy shift for President Biden, who had previously been hesitant to send them out of fear of escalating the conflict. However, with Ukraine facing ammunition and equipment shortages and losing territory to Russian advances, the administration’s calculus has changed.
Overall, the delivery of these long-range missile systems represents a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia, providing Ukrainian forces with a valuable tool to target Russian forces in occupied Crimea.
