{"id":25951,"date":"2024-11-19T00:02:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-18T22:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=25951"},"modified":"2024-11-19T07:56:12","modified_gmt":"2024-11-19T05:56:12","slug":"biden-administration-allows-ukraine-to-use-long-range-us-missiles-to-strike-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/biden-administration-allows-ukraine-to-use-long-range-us-missiles-to-strike-russia\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden administration allows Ukraine to use long-range US missiles to strike Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

5 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Biden administration has allowed Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied weapons for long-range strikes deep into Russian territory, U.S. officials and sources disclosed on November 18, 2024. This decision is a significant reversal in Washington\u2019s stance on the Ukraine-Russia conflict and has already drawn sharp reactions from Moscow.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long called for such measures, arguing they are critical to counter Russia\u2019s military advances. \u201cThe missiles will speak for themselves,\u201d Zelenskyy remarked in his evening address, emphasizing the importance of action over rhetoric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move is being described by many as a response to the evolving dynamics of the war. The decision from the Biden administration comes just two months before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on January 20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decision also follows battleground developments, including Russia\u2019s reported deployment of over 10,000 North Korean soldiers to bolster its forces. These troops are believed to be engaging in combat operations in the Kursk region, escalating the stakes in the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While details of Ukraine\u2019s first planned long-range attacks remain under wraps due to operational security, it is widely believed that the strikes will involve ATACMS rockets, which boast a range of up to 306 kilometers. These missiles could allow Ukraine to target Russian military installations far from its borders for the first time in the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is a surface-to-surface artillery weapon system. (Image Credit: Lockheed Martin)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Ukraine may use ATACMS to defend against the assault, targeting Russian positions including military bases, infrastructure, and ammunition storage. However, the current of the missiles would not be enough to turn the tide of the war. Russian military equipment, such as jets, has already been moved to airfields further inside Russia in anticipation of such a decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Escalation risks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strategic shift comes at a time when Russian forces are advancing at their fastest pace since 2022, despite suffering heavy casualties. Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, have struggled with personnel shortages and have lost some ground, including areas they captured during a brief incursion into Kursk in August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Washington, the decision has sparked debate. Some congressional Republicans, including Representative Mike Turner, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, called the move overdue. \u201cThis first step will put pressure on Vladimir Putin as President-elect Trump returns to the White House and works to end this war,\u201d Turner stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, Trump\u2019s stance on the issue remains uncertain. While he has criticized the scale of U.S. aid to Ukraine, his specific plans for addressing the conflict remain unclear. Richard Grenell, one of Trump\u2019s close foreign policy advisers, criticized Biden\u2019s decision, accusing the outgoing administration of \u201cescalating the wars before he leaves office.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Ukrainian<\/a>
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is embraced by U.S. President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on September 21, 2023. (Image Credit: Reuters\/Kevin Lamarque)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While Kyiv\u2019s allies have been supportive of Ukraine\u2019s defense, many have imposed restrictions on the use of supplied weapons within Russian territory. These measures aim to prevent retaliation that could draw NATO countries into the war or provoke a nuclear conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these concerns, Biden\u2019s decision reflects the urgency of countering Russia\u2019s momentum. Since Trump\u2019s electoral victory on November 5, the outgoing administration has focused on equipping Ukraine to either fight effectively next year or negotiate peace from a position of strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Reactions from Moscow and beyond<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kremlin has not issued an official response but Russian officials have already expressed dire concerns and have previously warned that loosening restrictions on Ukraine\u2019s use of U.S. weapons would be viewed as a severe escalation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy head of Russia\u2019s international affairs committee, cautioned that the decision could spark \u201cWorld War Three.\u201d Andrei Klishas, a senior member of Russia\u2019s Federation Council, also warned that such escalation could result in \u201cthe Ukrainian statehood in complete ruins by morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Ukrainian<\/a>
Ukrainian State Emergency Service, police, and medical workers at a site after Russian strikes and shelling in Ukraine. (Image Credit: State Emergency Service of Ukraine\/via X)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Poland\u2019s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, framed the policy change as a direct response to the entry of North Korean troops into the conflict and Russia\u2019s continued missile strikes. \u201cPresident Biden responded in a language that V. Putin understands, by removing restrictions on Ukraine\u2019s use of Western missiles,\u201d Sikorski said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Russian strikes in Ukraine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Continuing with the recent events, Russia launched its largest airstrike on Ukraine in nearly three months, firing 120 missiles and 90 drones on Sunday. The attacks killed at least seven people, caused widespread power outages, and inflicted “severe damage to Ukraine’s energy system,” according to Maxim Timchenko, CEO of DTEK, the country\u2019s largest private energy firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Residents in Kyiv sheltered in metro stations as air defenses intercepted 104 missiles and 42 drones, with another 41 disappearing from radar, according to the Ukrainian defense ministry. Regions including Lviv, Odesa, and Dnipropetrovsk, reported damage to critical infrastructure, with emergency repairs underway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Russia\u2019s defense ministry claimed the strikes targeted energy facilities supplying Ukraine\u2019s military-industrial complex. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated, “The enemy’s target was our energy infrastructure across Ukraine.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only way to truly stop this terror is to eliminate Russia\u2019s ability to launch attacks. And this is absolutely realistic.

Today, Russia struck Odesa with a missile\u2014deliberately targeting a residential area. As a result of this barbaric act, innocent lives were lost, and many\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/5Isl7F3hxV<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Volodymyr Zelenskyy \/ \u0412\u043e\u043b\u043e\u0434\u0438\u043c\u0438\u0440 \u0417\u0435\u043b\u0435\u043d\u0441\u044c\u043a\u0438\u0439 (@ZelenskyyUa) November 18, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>