US surreptitiously launches long-range missiles into Ukraine to support Kiev
US authorities have verified that Ukraine has started to use long-range ballistic missiles that were covertly supplied by the US against Russian soldiers who are occupying the country.
The weapons came this month and were a part of an assistance package worth $300 million (£240 million) that US President Joe Biden authorized in March.
US media reports that they have already been employed, at least once, to hit Russian targets in occupied Crimea.
Now, Mr. Biden has approved a fresh $61 billion assistance deal for Ukraine.
Ukraine had already received a mid-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) from the US, but the US had been hesitant to deploy anything more potent because of worries that it would jeopardize US military preparedness.
But according to reports, Mr. Biden approved the deployment of the long-range system in secret in February. This system is capable of firing missiles up to 300 km (186 miles) into space.
Vedant Patel, a spokeswoman for the state department, said, "I can confirm that the United States provided Ukraine with long-range ATACMS at the president's direct direction."
The United States "did not announce this at the onset in order to maintain operational security for Ukraine at their request" , he said.
Although the exact number of weapons deployed is unknown, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that Washington intended to provide more.
"They'll have an impact. However, as I've said previously at this podium, there isn't a magic cure ".
An unidentified US source was reported by the Reuters news agency as stating that the longer-range missiles were fired for the first time last week, hitting a Russian airport in annexed Crimea.
Additionally, the New York Times reports that throughout the course of Tuesday night, Russian forces in the captured port city of Berdyansk were attacked with the new missiles.
As Russia continues to advance while Kyiv's munitions supplies run low, the latter has increased its requests for Western aid in recent months.
The current assistance package comes after months of standoff because certain members of Congress opposed the help.
Following its enactment, Mr. Biden said, "It will make America safer, it will make the world safer."
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, responded to the package by saying, "We will now do everything to make up for half a year invested in debates and doubts."
"What the Russian occupation was able to do during this time, what Putin is now planning, we have to wage war against him."
Mr. Zelensky recently issued a warning, stating that after Ukraine's loss of the city of Avdiivka during the winter, an attack by Russia was anticipated in the next weeks.
Officials in Ukraine have attributed the loss of life and territory on delays in military supplies from the US and other Western partners. In recent months, the country's troops have struggled with a scarcity of ammunition and air defense equipment.
"It's quite possible that Russia could make additional tactical successes in the coming weeks," said Mr. Sullivan on Wednesday.
Millions of people have left their homes and tens of thousands of people—mostly soldiers—have died or been wounded on both sides in the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
