Joe Bidenʼs administration decided not to publicly announce the delivery of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. These are missiles with a cluster warhead, as the US no longer plans to use them in its operations.
The British newspaper Financial Times writes about it with reference to sources.
One interlocutor of the publication noted that this was done in order not to help the Russians with tips and not to encourage them to move their supply lines further from the front line.
The US will send missiles in the near future, initially in small quantities, the publicationʼs sources said.
Prior to that, White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre could not confirm media reports that the US would transfer long-range missiles to Ukraine.
“The President [US Joe Biden] has already said many times that the transfer of ATACMS is likely in the future. But I have no new information to announce," said Jean-Pierre.
- ATACMS are guided ballistic missiles capable of accurately hitting targets at a distance of 165 to 310 kilometers, depending on the modification. These missiles are launched from M142 HIMARS and M270 MLRS. After receiving ATACMS, the Armed Forces will be able to strike strategic targets, for example, the Crimean bridge.
- On September 20, Volodymyr Zelenskyi expressed confidence that the decision to supply Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles is on the "finish line".