Biden Allows Ukraine to Strike Russia With ATACMS Missiles

17 November, 2024 The Republic of Korea M270 launches an ATACMS missile. October 2022. South Korea.

Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Korea The President of the United States, Joe Biden, allowed Ukraine to strike Russia with American long-range missiles. The New York Times reported about this.

With two months left in office, the president for the first time authorized the Ukrainian military to use the system known as ATACMS to help defend its forces in the Kursk oblast of Russia. U.S. President Biden has authorized the first use of U.S.-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine for strikes inside Russia.

The missiles are likely to be initially employed against Russian and North Korean troops in defense of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk oblast of western Russia, according to The New York Times.

ATACMS launch. Photo credits: Office of Strategic Communications of the General Staff

Mr. Biden's decision is a major change in U.S. policy.

The choice has divided his advisers, and his shift comes two months before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office, having vowed to limit further support for Ukraine. Allowing the Ukrainians to use the long-range missiles, known as the Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, came in response to Russia's surprise decision to bring North Korean troops into the fight, officials said.

The decision to transfer ATACMS missiles to Ukraine was made by the United States on August 30, 2023, but for more than a year there were restrictions on strikes on Russian territory, even in border areas.

ATACMS in Action: Three Months of Destroying Russian Air Defense in Ukraine

On October 17 of the same year, it became known that the Armed Forces of Ukraine used short-range ATACMS ballistic missiles in cluster munitions at airfields near the temporarily occupied Luhansk and Berdiansk. The use of American missiles was also confirmed by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. Since then, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have used ATACMS dozens of times against Russian forces in the occupied territories, but due to restrictions, they could not strike the invaders on their territory in advance.

As a result, Russia made two new border breakthroughs in the Kharkiv region and entered the city of Vovchansk.

The situation in Vovchansk on the map. June 2024 DeepState

Both the Ukrainian military and civilians living in the town and nearby villages suffered losses.

Since then, heavy fighting has been going on in the town, and it has been completely destroyed as a result of hostilities.