US secretly transferred 100 long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine's arsenal – NYT

In February, US President Joe Biden secretly decided to provide Ukraine with more than 100 long-range ATACMS missiles, reported The New York Times with reference to an unnamed American official.

The source of The New York Times reported that in February, Biden approved the decision to send more than 100 long-range ATACMS missiles to Kyiv, as well as a batch of cluster munitions of various types. They were part of a $300 million aid package announced in March.

The White House hid the transfer of missiles to Ukraine so that the Russians would not take advantage of it. If the Kremlin found out that the missiles were already on their way, they would order to withdraw their key warehouses and headquarters from the missiles' range.

The interlocutor of the publication noted that Ukraine used these missiles to attack Russian troops in the temporarily occupied city of Berdyansk.

On April 24, the American president's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that ATACMS were included in the aid package that Biden approved on March 12. He noted that the United States will continue to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles.

However, Sullivan did not specify exactly how many ATACMS munitions were provided to Ukraine.

On March 12, Politico reported that the Biden administration may announce the supply of "a certain number" of ATACMS missiles capable of hitting at a distance of 160 km to Ukraine .

On the same day, the United States announced $300 million in military aid to Ukraine. The package included artillery rounds and ammunition for HIMARS. The supply of ATACMS was not officially announced.

On April 24, Politico reported that in March, the United States secretly sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. The Voice of America, citing an unnamed high-ranking official from the USA, reported that Ukraine used ATACMS in the early hours of April 24.