President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS missiles in Russia, something Biden had specifically banned until now, two U.S. officials confirmed to ABC News on Sunday.
The use of the 190-mile-range ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles inside Russia means Ukraine could begin using them at Kursk, where 50,000 Russian troops, including 10,000 North Koreans are trying to reconquer what Ukraine has seized. a few months ago.
The United States had previously supplied Ukraine with shorter-range ATACM missiles equipped with cluster munitions that could only be used on Ukrainian territory seized by Russia. But Ukraine has long lobbied to allow longer-range ATACMS to be used to strike deep into Russia.
This photo provided by the U.S. Department of Defense, taken Dec. 14, 2021, shows the U.S. Army conducting live-fire testing of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) at the White Sands Missile Range in New -Mexico.
John Hamilton/DoD/AFP via Getty Images
U.S. officials have publicly disputed the effectiveness of this system and emphasized that the United States does not possess these missiles in large numbers. Instead, U.S. officials have talked up the effectiveness of long-range Ukrainian drones in striking deep into Russia, as a much cheaper alternative and in greater numbers. And the Biden administration feared crossing a red line with Russia, which has warned against allowing Ukraine to use longer-range weapons.
This is a developing story. Please check again for updates.
