The United States is moving closer to transferring ground-based ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces have long wanted to obtain for longer-range strikes against Russian troops.
As the WSJ writes, US President Joe Biden has not yet approved the transfer of the missile. However, White House officials said they are again considering delivery of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) this fall to bolster Ukraine's counteroffensive.
Ukraine has long requested the acquisition of ATACMS — a surface-to-surface missile system capable of striking far beyond Russian territory. The US has produced several variants of ATACMS, which are launched from a mobile launcher and can strike at a distance of 160 to 300 km, depending on the model.
Currently watching
— Our position has always been that we will provide Ukraine with the capabilities that will enable it to succeed on the battlefield. We will continue to evaluate the situation on the ground and make decisions based on that,— Deputy National Security Adviser John Feiner told reporters Sunday, declining to say whether such a system would be provided.
According to the WSJ, citing people familiar with the plans of President Vladimir Zelensky, next week the Ukrainian leader will visit Washington, where he will speak before the US Congress and meet with Biden after visiting the UN General Assembly.
The White House declined to comment on the information. about the proposed visit.
Zelensky said in an interview with CNN aired on Sunday that he plans to push Biden toward a decision to provide the missiles, and hopes that Ukraine will be able to receive these weapons this fall.
The Pentagon has long been reluctant to provide this system, which can be launched using the HIMARS launcher that the US provided last year, arguing that the US military has a limited supply of these weapons.
— From a military perspective, we have relatively few ATACMS and have to ensure we maintain our own ammunition stockpile. And the range of the weapon — I think this is a bit of an exaggeration of what ATACMS can and can't do. We are talking about one shot, so think of a musket and a revolving rifle, — Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Defense One in March.
Russia has also warned Washington that providing longer-range missiles could cross a “red line,” fueling fears in some quarters that the conflict in Ukraine could escalate into a showdown between Moscow and Washington.
Still , according to US officials, several factors have prompted the Biden administration to reconsider providing the missile.
Plans being considered by the administration call for the delivery of a limited number of missiles, which could delay Pentagon concerns that US stockpiles could be severely depleted.
The United States has previously secured assurances that Ukraine will not use American-provided weapons to attack Russian territory, and the provision of ATACMS is expected to be conditional on a similar promise.
The publication notes that the delivery of cruise missiles to Ukraine this year Storm Shadow, Kiev has shown that it is ready to limit the use of Western weapons to its sovereign territory, and not use them to strike deep into Russia.
Another factor: the stockpile of longer-range missiles Ukraine has received from the West could become depleted.
The UK has a limited supply of aircraft-launched Storm Shadow missiles. France also supplies its own version of this system, known as Scalp.
According to the European manufacturer, Storm Shadow missiles are capable of covering a distance of more than 240 km. However, Ukrainian officials say a ground-based system like ATACMS will give them greater ability to quickly strike logistics, communications and other facilities on Russian-controlled Ukrainian territory. Since the launchers are mobile, they can move quickly after firing — “shoot and leave” — to avoid retaliation from Russia.
Another long-range system announced by the United States is — ground small diameter bomb (GLSDB) with a range of approximately 144 km — will be transferred only in a few months.
Russian troops have spent months laying mines, digging trenches and preparing defenses along 600 km of southern Ukraine. These lines continue to pose a serious obstacle to Ukrainian troops seeking to cut or at least push back the strip of Russian-controlled territory connecting southwest Russia with Crimea.
While ATACMS won't help Ukrainian forces directly break through those defenses, officials hope they will allow Ukraine to strike some of the logistics hubs and headquarters Russian forces need to hold captured Ukrainian territory.
Earlier this week, Ukraine demonstrated its ability to strike deep into Russian territory, attacking Russian Navy dry docks in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, damaging a Russian submarine and a large landing ship.
Ukraine has hinted that the operation, one of the most impressive attacks on Russia's naval power in the 18-month war, was carried out using Storm Shadows missiles.
And on Thursday, Kiev said its drones and Ukrainian-made cruise missiles destroyed one of Russia's most advanced air defense systems in Crimea, dealing a new blow to the occupied peninsula that serves as a critical logistical base for Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Some U.S. lawmakers insist that the White House provide the ATACMS system. In June, the House Foreign Relations Committee passed a bipartisan resolution calling on the Biden administration to immediately transfer them to Kyiv.
— By not providing Ukraine with the weapons it needs to win this war, the administration is prolonging the conflict and costing countless Ukrainian lives, — said Congressman Michael McCaul.
In May, Biden said sending ATACMS was “still in play”. In June, officials hinted that the United States was considering providing ATACMS systems to Ukraine.
