Kyiv’s use of U.S.-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) won’t be enough to turn the tide of the conflict in Ukraine’s favor, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.
Use of the long-range missile system by Ukraine “has no chance of radically changing the situation along the line of contact,” Mr. Putin said at an Oct. 18 press briefing.
One day earlier, Ukrainian forces used the advanced missile system—for the first time—to strike Russian positions in the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
According to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, the twin strikes succeeded in destroying aircraft, military vehicles and equipment, two airfields, and an ammunition depot.
“It is now possible to hit targets impeccably, with great precision, giving the enemy no chance,” a Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said in televised comments.
Moscow later confirmed the strikes in the port cities of Skadovsk and Berdyansk (located in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, respectively), both of which lie several dozen miles behind Russian defense lines.
According to Russian officials, neither of the strikes caused significant damage.
The Epoch Times couldn’t independently verify claims made by either side.
In the immediate wake of the strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the United States for providing the missile systems, some versions of which can be used to hit targets at distances of up to 190 miles.
“My special gratitude today goes to the United States,” Mr. Zelenskyy said in an Oct. 17 social media post.
The long-range missile systems “have proven themselves.”
The same day, Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the U.S. National Security Council, confirmed that the missile systems had been delivered to Kyiv.
“We believe this will provide a significant boost to Ukraine’s battlefield capabilities without risking our military readiness,” Ms. Watson said.
It remains unclear how many ATACMS missiles the United States has thus far delivered to Ukraine.
But a recent article in The New York Times, which cited Western officials, put the number at roughly 20.
Like other U.S.-supplied offensive weapons, Kyiv has reportedly pledged to not use the ATACMS to carry out strikes inside Russian territory.
In September 2022, Russia effectively annexed Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, along with two other regions of eastern Ukraine.
Covert Deliveries
On Oct. 19, Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine’s foreign minister, said Kyiv was set to receive more deliveries of the U.S. missiles—which typically carry cluster munitions—on a regular basis and in greater quantities.“This is a direct result of the agreement between President Zelenskyy and President [Joe] Biden, reached in Washington during a personal meeting in late September,” Mr. Kuleba said in televised comments.
For months, Kyiv had pressed its Western allies for longer-range missile systems, including the ATACMS and German-made Taurus missiles.
However, the White House had held back, fearing the move would escalate the months-long conflict with Russia.
During a Sept. 21 visit to Washington, Mr. Zelenskyy reportedly repeated the request to President Biden.
At the time, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said President Biden had considered the request but had ultimately decided against it.
But soon afterward, NBC—citing unnamed U.S. officials—reported that President Biden had in fact already greenlit the move.
On Oct. 18, CNN reported that Washington had decided to deliver the long-range missile system—covertly—in order to “take the Russians by surprise.”
Speaking the same day, Mr. Putin conceded that the missile system’s inclusion in Ukraine’s arsenal would pose “an additional threat” to Russia.
But he went on to assert that the Russian military “is certainly able to repel these [long-range missile] attacks.”
Mr. Putin derided the U.S. decision to supply Kyiv with the advanced missile system, which, he claimed, would “only prolong [Ukraine’s] agony.”
He also said the move was further proof that the United States was becoming “increasingly involved in the conflict.”
On Oct. 19, Reuters reported that the United States would likely begin supplying Ukraine with multiple versions of the long-range missile system.
To support its assertions, the news agency cited “U.S. Army presentations and budget data.”
