Longer range

USA secretly delivered ATACMS missiles to Kiev

Preparation of an ATACMS launch facility in Australia(Bild: APA/AP)

The recently agreed Ukraine aid package worth around 61 billion US dollars (equivalent to 57 billion euros) also includes the delivery of longer-range ATACMS missiles. However, it has now become known that this type of weapon has already been in the war-torn country for some time. This was kept secret until Wednesday.

However, a spokesperson for the US State Department has now confirmed: "I can confirm that the United States has delivered long-range ATACMS to Ukraine at the direct instruction of the President." The missiles were part of an aid package from March and arrived in Ukraine "this month".

Secrecy "at the request of Ukraine"
The delivery was not initially disclosed "in order to maintain Ukraine's operational security at its request", the spokesperson explained. The missiles are therefore not part of the aid package for Ukraine approved by the US Congress on Tuesday.

Launch of a missile from the so-called Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) in South Korea(Bild: AFP)

The USA delivered ATACMS missiles to Ukraine for the first time last year - but only with a range of 165 kilometers. The variant with the longest range can hit targets up to 300 kilometers away. The Pentagon confirmed that the missiles now delivered were the longer-range variant. 

Preparation of an ATACMS launch facility in Australia(Bild: APA/AP)

Security advisor: "Will make a big difference"
The White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, announced that the USA will deliver further long-range missiles to Ukraine. "They will make a big difference," said Sullivan. At the same time, he repeated his statement that there is no "silver bullet" in the war between Russia and Ukraine. 

The confirmation from the US State Department came on the same day that Biden released the funds for Ukraine. Biden said he would "make sure that deliveries begin immediately, in the next few hours".