Biden allows Ukraine to fire US missiles deep inside Russia. What to know about ATACMS
For the first time, President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to launch American-supplied missiles deep inside Russian territory, according to multiple news reports. The missiles are known as Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS for short.
Biden’s decision comes after months of lobbying from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for authorization to attack further inside Russia.
It also comes on the heels of the 2024 presidential election, which resulted in a resounding victory for President-elect Donald Trump — who has said he wants to pursue a speedy resolution to the Ukraine-Russia war.
The Kremlin quickly condemned Biden’s authorization, accusing the White House of “adding fuel to the fire and provoking further escalation of tensions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Associated Press.
What are ATACMS?
Built by Lockheed Martin, ATACMS are long-range surface-to-surface missiles equipped with 500-pound warheads, according to the company. They can be guided via GPS and have a maximum range of 300 kilometers, or approximately 186 miles.
They can be launched from multiple platforms, including High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and M270 Multiple Launch Rocket Systems.
Because they can travel high in the atmosphere and at fast speeds, they are considered hard to intercept, according to Newsweek.
They are especially effective against stationary targets like command centers and ammunition storehouses, per the outlet.
Developed during the Cold War, the missiles were first deployed in combat in 1991, during Operation Desert Storm, according to the U.S. Army.
The Ukrainian military has been in possession of ATACMS for months after Biden greenlit their delivery in February, according to CNN. However, at the time, the Ukrainians were only authorized to use them within their territory.
Now, with Biden’s new authorization, Ukraine is expected to use the ATACMS to strike inside Russia’s Kursk region — where North Korean soldiers were recently deployed to assist the Russian military, according to Reuters.
While the missiles are expected to improve Ukraine’s military capabilities, they likely will not turn the tide of the war, a European defense official told the outlet.
International security experts previously told McClatchy News that allowing Ukraine to fire ATACMS and other long-range weapons deep into Russia would constitute an escalation of the war.
“We are in dangerous, uncharted territory,” Robert David English, a professor of international relations at the University of Southern California, told McClatchy News. “Never before have opposing nuclear powers traveled so far up ... the ‘ladder of escalation.’”
This story was originally published November 18, 2024 at 11:26 AM with the headline "Biden allows Ukraine to fire US missiles deep inside Russia. What to know about ATACMS."