US authorizes Ukraine’s use of long-range ATACMS missiles against Russia

Two months before the end of his presidential term, President Joe Biden has authorized the use of long-range ATACMS missiles by Ukraine on Russian territory for the first time. This decision marks a significant shift in US foreign policy, as it allows Ukraine to use these missiles against Russian forces, particularly in the Kursk region, which is under threat from a large-scale Russian-North Korean offensive.

Rubryka reports, citing The New York Times.

According to officials, the long-range weapons will initially likely be used to protect the Armed Forces in the Kursk region.

The NYT highlights that Biden's decision marks a significant shift in US policy. The decision divided his advisers and came just two months before President-elect Donald Trump took office, with plans to scale back support for Ukraine.

Ukraine's approval to use long-range missiles, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), was granted in response to Russia's unexpected move to involve North Korean forces in combat, officials explained.

While officials do not expect a major change in the war's course, one of the goals of the policy shift is to send a message to North Korea, signaling that its forces are vulnerable and should not send more troops.

Though the US military is likely to first use the missiles against Russian and North Korean forces threatening Ukraine in the Kursk region, Biden may allow their use in other areas.

Some US officials expressed concerns that Ukraine's missile strikes across the border could provoke a retaliatory attack by Russian President Vladimir Putin against the US and its allies. However, other officials downplayed these fears, believing them to be exaggerated.

The NYT reports that Russia is preparing a large-scale offensive involving around 50,000 troops, including North Koreans, targeting fortified Ukrainian positions in the Kursk region with the aim of reclaiming all lost Russian territory.

In response, Ukraine's Armed Forces could use ATACMS missiles to strike concentrations of Russian and North Korean troops, key military infrastructure, logistics hubs, ammunition depots, and supply lines deep within Russian territory, potentially weakening the effectiveness of a Russian-North Korean attack.

The issue of providing Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles has been a sensitive topic since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Some Pentagon officials were opposed to the transfer, citing limited US military supplies, while some White House officials feared that sending the missiles could escalate the war, provoking Putin to expand the conflict.

Advocates for a more aggressive approach toward Moscow argue that Biden and his advisers are too easily swayed by Putin's hostile rhetoric and that the administration's gradual approach to arming Ukraine has placed the country at a disadvantage on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, supporters of Biden's strategy believe it has helped prevent a harsher Russian response.

Allowing long-range strikes on Russian territory using US missiles could alter this balance.

Ukraine's Armed Forces began an operation in the Kursk region in August, taking control of parts of Russian territory. Since then, US officials have grown increasingly concerned about the state of the Ukrainian army, which has been stretched thin by simultaneous Russian offensives in the east, Kharkiv, and now Kursk.

The NYT points out that the deployment of over 10,000 North Korean troops and Biden's response come as Trump prepares for a return to the US presidency, with the goal of ending the war as quickly as possible.

Trump has said little about his specific plans for ending the war, but Vice President-elect JD Vance proposed a plan that would allow Russia to keep the Ukrainian territory it currently holds.

The Ukrainian side, according to the NYT, hopes to negotiate an exchange of any Russian-held territory in the Kursk region for Ukrainian territory under Russian control.

The media outlet also notes that if the Russian offensive in the Kursk region is successful, Kyiv may have little or no Russian-held territory left to offer Moscow in future negotiations.

Reference

The ATACMS is a tactical ballistic missile produced by the American defense company Lockheed Martin. These missiles can be launched from the M270 MLRS (which holds two missiles) or the HIMARS system (which carries one missile), both of which Ukraine already has. Until now, Ukraine has received GMLRS projectiles for use with its HIMARS systems. The ATACMS missile has a flight range of up to 300 kilometers.

Ukraine officially announced in October 2023 that it had received ATACMS missiles and had successfully deployed them. Depending on the version, ATACMS missiles can strike targets at ranges of 165 to 300 kilometers.

The White House confirmed that Ukraine received missiles with a range of up to 165 kilometers. Subsequently, media reports indicated that the US Department of Defense was "open" to providing Ukraine with ATACMS missiles capable of reaching around 290 kilometers.

However, Ukraine has insisted on receiving ATACMS with a range of over 320 kilometers, intending to use them for strikes deep inside Russian territory.

Despite this, the US has declined to send these longer-range missiles, citing that Russia has already moved key military assets, such as aircraft, out of the ATACMS' reach. The US is also cautious about the risk of escalating the conflict with Russia.

In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory using long-range weapons would be considered direct participation by Western countries in the war.