The Biden administration last month secretly shipped long-range missiles to Ukraine for the first time in an effort to enable Ukrainian forces to further attack Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, according to reports.
politiko report On Wednesday, the United States approved the transfer of “a large number” of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS). Ukraine has long wanted it because of its long range, about 200 miles. The Biden administration had previously been reluctant to approve it, citing concerns about its own domestic supplies and the possibility that Ukraine’s military could attack Russia and provoke a counterattack.
But the Biden administration plans to add another $1 billion in aid after Congress approved a $61 billion aid package for Ukraine, the paper said.
According to the report, the Ukrainian military has already used the missile twice, once against Russian military bases in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, and more recently against Russian forces near the Sea of Azov. be.
The new aid package also includes Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, 155mm artillery shells, Bradley fighting vehicles, Javelin anti-tank systems, and Claymore anti-personnel rounds.
The report said Russia’s increasingly brutal tactics and increased production convinced President Joe Biden to approve the transfer. These tactics included attacks on Ukraine’s energy grid and the use of missiles provided by North Korea.
Officials said politiko The administration believed that providing ATACMS to Ukraine would give Ukraine new momentum in the war and threaten Crimea, which Russia uses for military resupply and as a base for its Black Sea fleet.
The official suggested that weapons alone cannot “change the nature of the battlefield,” but that Ukraine now has something in its toolkit to “influence” and “give an advantage.” Stated.
Even with the new aid, the Biden administration is skeptical it will be enough for Ukraine to win the war, the report said. separate report from Politico.
“The immediate goal is to halt Ukrainian losses and help Ukraine regain momentum and turn the tide of the battlefield. The subsequent goal is to help Ukraine begin to regain territory.” officials told the media. “Will they have what it takes to win? As it turns out, they do. But there’s no guarantee they will. Military operations are much more complex than that.”
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