Ukraine Seeks Longer-Range Missile System From the US for Future Offensives
The Ukrainians want the Army Tactical Missile System, which has a range of about 190 miles | Ukraine has made major requests for new weapons it wants from the US, including a longer-range missile system, as it plans to launch more offensives in 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. ● According to a document presented to US lawmakers, among the weapons Ukraine wants is the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, a surface-to-surface missile system that has a range of about 190 miles, significantly longer than any arms Washington has provided Kyiv up to this point. ● The US has previously denied requests from Ukraine to send ATACMS over concerns they could be used to target Russian territory. But Washington has demonstrated throughout the conflict its willingness to escalate support for Kyiv despite the risk of provoking a response from Moscow. ● The HIMARS systems that the US has been sending Ukraine have a range of 50 miles and were provided with the condition that they won’t be used to hit targets inside Russia, although the restriction doesn’t apply to Crimea, which Moscow has controlled since 2014.