US Sent Secretly Long-Range Missiles To Ukraine
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent
KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The United States confirmed Wednesday that it secretly shipped long-range missiles to Ukraine for use in its conflict with Russia.
The missiles, which Kyiv already used twice, were contained in a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine that U.S. President Joe Biden approved on March 12, U.S. sources said.
The confirmation came while Biden signed into law an aid package providing military assistance to Ukraine after the Senate passed a bill containing nearly $61 billion in aid to Ukraine.
Additionally, $26 billion in military aid will be transferred to Israel and $8 billion for the Indo-Pacific.
However, before the aid package was passed, the U.S. already sent ATACMS, short for Army Tactical Missile System, at President Biden’s order, said U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.
The missiles were used for the first time in the early hours of April 17, launched against a Russian airfield in Crimea that was about 165 km (103 miles) from the Ukrainian front lines, U.S. officials said.
Ukraine reportedly used the weapon a second time overnight against Russian forces in southeastern Ukraine.
‘SIGNIFICANT NUMBER’
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that a “significant number” of the missiles had been sent to Ukraine and said “we will send more.”
U.S. officials declined to say how many missiles had been delivered.
Yet they have a longer striking distance — up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) than the version of the weapon with a range of roughly 165 kilometers (103 miles) provided by the U.S. in October.
“We did not announce this at the onset to maintain operational security for Ukraine at their request,” Patel said.
Yet the Pentagon initially opposed the long-range missile deployment, fearing the loss of the missiles from the American stockpile would hurt U.S. military readiness, according to sources familiar with their thinking.
There were also concerns that Ukraine would use them to attack targets deep inside Russia.
However, Russia’s use of North Korean-supplied long-range ballistic missiles against Ukraine in December and January led to a change of heart, a U.S. official said.
WARNING RUSSIA
Another factor in U.S. decision-making was Russia’s targeting of Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, added the official speaking on condition of anonymity.
“We warned Russia about those things,” the official said. “They renewed their targeting.”
Also high on Ukraine’s shopping list is ammunition, with the U.S. pledging to ramp up production of shells from 30,000 a month to 100,000 by next summer.
Ukraine used over 2 million shells during the 26-month war, a rate of more than 75,000 a month, said General James Mingus, the Army’s vice chief of staff.
Kyiv how hopes it will soon receive more weapons as Russia pushes forward in a war that has already killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people, officials say.
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