On Tuesday, Ukraine initiated the use of ATACMS missiles against Russian forces, marking the first deployment of these U.S.-supplied weapons since Russia’s invasion of the country.
A limited quantity of these missiles was covertly transported to Ukraine in recent days.
They are set to enhance Kyiv’s capacity to conduct long-range strikes against Russian forces during a crucial phase of its counteroffensive, as confirmed by individuals with knowledge of the situation.
Ukraine had been pursuing ATACMS for an extended period – these surface-to-surface missiles are compatible with Himars (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) launchers, which the U.S. initially supplied last year, the Wall Street Journal reported.
As reported on Tuesday by the Ukrainian military’s communication department via the Telegram messaging app, they successfully targeted enemy airfields and helicopters near the temporarily occupied regions of Luhansk and Berdyansk.
The ATACMS models provided to Ukraine have an approximate range of 100 miles.
The decision by the United States to provide ATACMS, which stands for the Army Tactical Missile System, has been a lengthy process.
Ukraine had consistently emphasized that these missiles were vital to its military strategy, granting it the necessary range to strike targets located beyond the front lines in territories held by Russian forces.
Written by staff
B.C. Begley 