Reuters: Ukraine uses ATACMS missiles it secretly received from the US against Russia

Reports of a secret delivery of long-range ATACMS missiles to Kiev appeared in the US media, and this information was confirmed by the State Department.

According to Reuters, citing a US official, the missiles were transferred to Ukraine on the direct order of the US president in February, and back in March the weapons were transferred as part of the March military aid package.

The source said that the discussion on the transfer of long-range missiles lasted for several months, the US Department of Defense was strongly opposed, as it could negatively affect the combat readiness of the US itself.

However, as early as January, the Pentagon was convinced, and in February the US president met with his national security team. The advisers thought that ATACMS should be transferred to Kiev, but the United States did not have the money to pay for ATACMS.

A Reuters source noted that the US decision was influenced by strikes by the Russian armed forces on critical infrastructure sites in Ukraine.

At the same time, an NBC source reported the White House’s intention to transfer a new version of ATACMS missiles with a longer range that can attack remote areas of Crimea. This chance appeared only in March with the allocation of $300 million to Ukraine. It was decided not to publicly announce the missile delivery to preserve the element of surprise.

Pentagon spokesman Garen Garn explained to CNN that the weapons were transferred to Kiev for use “within sovereign Ukrainian territory.”

Reuters points out that Ukraine has already used ATACMS; missiles attacked a Russian military airport in Jankoi on the night of April 17.

At the same time, Pushilin’s adviser Jan Gagin told RIA Novosti that the Russian air defense already knows how to shoot down ATACMS missiles. According to him, air defenses have “encountered these targets” before and successfully countered them. And the use of long-range missiles is unlikely to change the situation at the front, the expert believes.

“We have successful experience in destroying ATACMS missiles… I will say something more – our air defense forces already have experience in destroying almost all missiles in NATO’s arsenal, including Storm Shadow and, as I already said, ATACMS,” Gagin said.
He also noted that the new US aid package could only delay, but not reverse, the defeat of Ukraine’s armed forces.