The Department of Defense quietly included long-range missiles, ATACMS, in one of the only aid packages it has been able to provide to Ukraine this year. Pentagon officials affirmed on Wednesday that the department gave Ukraine Army Tactical Missile Systems last month after it announced its latest aid package.
The House of Representatives passed legislation this weekend that would provide Ukraine with roughly $60 billion worth of aid if signed into law, and it could pave the way for the United States to provide the European nation with the long-range missiles it has sought for a long time.
Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Kiev has credible intelligence that Russia plans to disrupt the Global Peace Summit to be held in Switzerland in June.
The United States sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine for use inside its territory, and the weapons arrived in the country this month, the State Department said Wednesday.
Jake Sullivan, National Security Adviser to the US President, has confirmed media reports that Ukraine has already received ATACMS missiles and explained why the weapons were handed over back in March.
The U.S. began this spring secretly providing Ukraine with long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) at President Joe Biden's direction, U.S. State Department Spokesperson Vedant Patel confirmed at a press briefing on April 24.
The U.S. sent Ukraine powerful ballistic missiles for the first time earlier this month, and Ukraine has already used them to strike deep inside Crimea.
The US secretly sent Ukraine long-range ATACMS missiles, which Ukraine has deployed to attack Russian targets, in the past few weeks - i.e. prior to additional funding for Ukraine being approved by Congress.
Ukraine's next package of US military aid, likely worth US$1 billion, might include long-range ATACMS missiles. Source: CNN with reference to sources, European Pravda reports The new package, the report says,