US To Give Kyiv Long-Range ATACMS Missiles 

US President Joe Biden plans to give Ukraine advanced long-range missiles to help Kyiv with its ongoing counter-offensive.

According to report, a US official familiar with the issue was quoted as saying Ukraine will get some ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 190 miles (300km).

This would enable Kyiv to hit Russian targets deep behind the front line.

At least one Ukrainian missile hit the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea fleet in annexed Crimea on Friday.

A Ukrainian military source told BBC that the attack in the port of Sevastopol was carried out using Storm Shadow missiles, which are supplied by Britain and France, highlighting the importance of Western weaponry to Kyiv.

Such missiles have a range of just over 150 miles.

The media quoted unnamed US officials as saying President Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky that Kyiv would get “a small number” of ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles. The two leaders met at the White House on Thursday.

The WSJ adds that the weapons will be sent in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post cites several people familiar with the discussions as saying Ukraine will get ATACMS armed with cluster bomblets rather than a single warhead.

Neither the US nor Ukraine have officially confirmed the reports.

BBC