Ukraine will receive ATACMS long-range missiles from the US

The United States has provided Ukraine with ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 165 km, confirmed National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson. She added that the White House believes that this will significantly strengthen Ukraine's combat capabilities.

"The United States recently delivered an ATACMS system with a range of up to 100 miles to Ukraine as part of our ongoing support to the Ukrainian people in defending their territory against Russia's brutal invasion. We believe this will provide a significant increase in Ukraine's battlefield capabilities without compromising our military readiness."

Watson said.

She added that the missiles would allow Ukraine to hit targets located deeper in Ukraine and prevent Russians from having a “safe haven” in the occupied territory.

"We are committed to continuing to provide Ukraine with the military assistance it needs to succeed on the battlefield and fight for freedom and independence"

The White House thus confirmed earlier reports from the Wall Street Journal and other media that America had provided Ukraine with the missiles it had been seeking for a long time. Ukraine used missiles for the first time to attack air bases near Berdyansk and Luhansk, inflicting heavy damage on Russian aircraft.

Just last year, President Joe Biden and his adviser Jake Sullivan suggested that providing the missiles could lead to World War III, and the Pentagon suggested that the US had too few missiles in its resources. However, the breakthrough occurred around the July NATO summit in Vilnius, and according to press reports, the decision was made during President Zelensky's visit to the White House in September.

ATACMS are ballistic missiles fired from HIMARS and M270 MLRS launchers with a range of up to 300 km. Ukraine received an older version of the missiles with a range of 165 km, containing cluster submunitions.