US still considering supplying Ukraine with ATACMS missile systems – Biden
The issue of providing long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine is still under consideration, says US President Joe Biden.
The US president commented on the escalation of Russian air attacks with missiles and kamikaze drones on Kyiv. At the same time, Biden noted that long-range missiles "are not a surprise."
HAPPENING NOW!!!
I just asked @POTUS about Russian increasing attacks on Kyiv.
"It's not unexpected" Biden said.
"That's why we got to continue to give Ukraine all they need"#StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/pvryltpYRt
— Alex Raufoglu (@ralakbar) May 29, 2023
Journalists clarified whether it is possible to transfer ATACMS long-range missiles to Ukraine. Biden responded that the issue is "still in play." The US president meant that the request continues to be considered.
Previously, the Biden administration explained Kyiv's reluctance to transfer longer-range ATACMS missiles because there may be too few of them left in the reserves of the American army.
So far, Ukraine has received missiles that hit at 70-80 km distance, and various ATACMS modifications have a range of 165 to 310 km.
Great Britain provided Ukraine with its own long-range Storm Shadow missiles.
ATACMS are long-range (up to 300 km) munitions for HIMARS, the systems Ukraine received last year. After Ukraine first started shelling Russian positions using HIMARS, this effectively allowed it to cut Russian supply lines, disable their command posts, and destroy weapons and ammunition depots. Enemy forces began to move their key components beyond the reach of these systems.
