Ukraine may receive long-range ATACMS
19 February 2024 18:03
The Biden administration is working on supplying Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles. This was reported by NBC News, citing two official sources in the United States, according to 
The publication writes that this consideration was the result of several months of requests from the Ukrainian side. However, the defence department explained to reporters that the stock of such missiles in the United States is quite limited, so it is unlikely that such a decision will be made without allocating funding to replenish the stocks. Long-range ATACMS could be part of a military package if the US Congress approves funding for Ukraine.
The ammunition and artillery are ready to be shipped and are only waiting for a congressional decision, according to US officials.
“Without additional [funding], we don’t have a security assistance package that can be provided to Ukraine at this time. At the same time, I will not speculate on the content of any future packages if a supplemental is passed. We will let you know if this changes and if we have a new package to announce,”
– commented a spokesperson for the US Department of Defence.
The ATACMS is a precision-guided surface-to-surface ballistic missile launched from the M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS. After firing, the missile rises upwards and strikes the target from above almost vertically. At the time of impact, the missile’s speed reaches 3,500 km/h. Russians can shoot down such missiles with S-400 systems, but they are still considered extremely effective.
The delivery of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine became known last autumn, but the Americans then provided the Ukrainian Armed Forces with a 165-kilometre range. Currently, we are talking about supplying missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometres, which will allow us to hit, for example, targets deep in Crimea and Russian territory.
