After months of deadlock, the House of Representatives approves billions in aid for Ukraine. In addition to artillery ammunition and anti-aircraft defense, this also requires rockets to attack Russian targets behind the front. And she could get it now.
The Ukrainian armed forces are in short supply of long-range missiles to strike against the Russian invaders far behind the front. With the resolution of the US House of Representatives, which – if approved by the Senate on Tuesday – releases $61 billion in direct and indirect aid to Ukraine, the attacked country can hope for new Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles.
By Resolution of the House of Representatives The rockets are explicitly mentioned. President Joe Biden is called on to deliver “wide-ranging” ATACMS to Ukraine “as soon as possible” after the law comes into force, provided this does not run counter to US security interests.
The USA delivered the first batch of surface-to-surface missiles last autumn – and they were a resounding success when used against enemy military equipment. In October 2023, the delivery became public through attacks on two Russian airfields in the occupied territories of Ukraine. There was no official announcement in advance that the weapon would be made available.
ATACMS cause massive destruction
Ukrainian special forces subsequently announced that nine helicopters, weapons arsenals and parts of an anti-aircraft facility were destroyed in the ATACMS operation against the Russian bases near the cities of Luhansk and Berdyansk.
However, the Ukrainian armed forces probably only received the missiles in double-digit numbers. Kyiv has therefore been demanding supplies for months. “There is only one way to destroy Russian capabilities in Ukraine. You have to penetrate deep into the occupied territories, bypassing Russian electronic warfare and interceptors,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, according to the US broadcaster NBC in February. “If you want to strike behind the lines, disrupt their logistics and supplies and destroy their ammunition depots, you can only do that with long-range missiles.”
And the Ukrainian defenders recently used ATACMS again for such a strike behind enemy lines. A few days ago, a Russian S-400 anti-aircraft system in Russian-occupied Crimea was disabled using ballistic missiles.
According to reports, around 20 examples of cluster munitions were handed over to Kiev by the US when it was delivered last year. According to US military officials, the USA itself has told the “New York Times”, even only a limited number of ATACMS are in stock. These are intended for conflicts with China, Russia or North Korea. However, it is said that specimens could be released as soon as the intended successor, the Precision Strike Missiles, reaches US troop depots. According to the report, the first delivery has already been made to the Pentagon.
Up to 300 kilometers range
According to the US manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the approximately four meter long ATACMS can be fired from both Himars rocket launchers and M270 multiple rocket launchers. The range also varies depending on the model. While the Himars standard ammunition can cover around 80 kilometers, rocket launchers equipped with ATACMS can reach targets up to 165 kilometers or even 300 kilometers away. Until now, Ukraine had only received the limited version with 165 kilometers from the USA.
However, that could now change. “A few weeks ago we had a new assessment from the US General Staff, which pointed out that the USA is now ready to deliver the longer-range ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers,” said security expert Frank Umbach in an interview ntv.
This would then put the entire Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula in the sights of the Ukrainian armed forces. Airfields and other military facilities belonging to the occupiers could become even more targets for attack than before. Moscow might be forced to respond by moving planes, helicopters or supply depots currently stationed there to areas further away from Ukraine.