US secretly delivers long-range missiles to Ukraine, already used by Armed Forces – Politico

In March, the administration of US President Joe Biden secretly sent long-range ATACMS missiles with a range of more than 300 kilometers to Ukraine, Politico reported, citing a senior Biden administration official and two US officials.

Kyiv has already used this weapon twice to deliver deep strikes into Russian-occupied territories, according to the publication's interlocutors. This has allowed Ukrainian forces to put more Russian targets in Ukraine at risk.

Another US official also told the publication that the White House will include additional long-range ATACMS in a new $1 billion military aid package approved by Biden on April 24.

As reported by Reuters, citing an unnamed US official, the missiles were first used on the morning of April 17 and were launched at a Russian airfield in Crimea, about 165 km from Ukrainian-controlled territory.

On the night of April 17, explosions were heard in the temporarily occupied Crimea in the city of Dzhankoi near the military airfield. Later, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike by the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the military airfield in Dzhankoi, and the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) provided a list of damaged objects – these are Russian launchers of anti-missile and anti-aircraft defense systems, radar systems and aircraft. Information was also given about the elimination of enemy personnel.

UPDATED AT 21:50. The Voice of America, citing an unnamed senior US official, reported that Ukraine also used ATACMS last night.

Pentagon spokesman Maj. Charlie Dietz told journalists that the US had already delivered long-range ATACMS ballistic missiles to Ukraine in March as part of a $300 million aid package.

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