US officials said on April 24 that Ukrainian forces used the weapon to attack a Russian military airport in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight.
The new missiles give Ukraine nearly twice the strike power of the medium-range version of the weapon the country received from the United States last October.
An anonymous US official told the Associated Press that many missiles will be provided as part of the new military aid package signed by President Biden on April 24.
The delivery of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has a range of 300km, comes after months of debate within the Biden administration over concerns that Ukraine could use them to strike deep inside targets. in Russia.
However, the official said, Russia’s use of long-range ballistic missiles in December and January caused officials to change their minds.
Video on social media last week showed an explosion at an airport in Crimea, but officials at the time did not confirm it was ATACMS.
The US has supplied long-range missiles to Ukraine
Meanwhile, Mr. Biden on April 24 signed into law a bill that will provide tens of billions of dollars in new US aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia, starting in February 2022.
“It provides critical support to America’s partners so they can protect themselves from threats to their sovereignty,” Mr. Biden emphasized.
The initial aid package includes vehicles, Stinger anti-aircraft ammunition, additional ammunition for high-mobility rocket artillery systems, 155mm artillery shells, TOW and Javelin anti-tank ammunition and other weapons that can be put into use. immediately used on the battlefield.
Ukraine previously asked the US to supply long-range missile systems in the context of increasing Russian attacks.
Mr. Biden has pressured lawmakers for six months to approve more funding for Ukraine, despite opposition from the right wing of the Republican Party. Previously, former president Donald Trump opposed aid.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X that “Ukraine’s long-range, artillery and air defense capabilities are extremely important tools for quickly restoring a just peace.”
