On Wednesday, the United States confirmed that it had clandestinely delivered a long-range Atacms missile system to Ukraine, sparking condemnation from Russia. The delivery consisted of a new missile system with a range of over 305 kilometers, as reported by The New York Times. President Joe Biden authorized the shipment in February, keeping it secret to avoid alerting the Russians about its movement. The missiles arrived in Ukraine in April and were immediately deployed on the eastern front.
Ukrainian forces utilized the Atacms system to attack Russian military airfields in Crimea and against Russian troops in Southeast Ukraine. Russia has vehemently opposed the transfer of long-range missiles, citing increased security threats to its territories. The Russian Ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, denounced the secret sending of missiles as unjustifiable and claimed that it posed a threat to regions including Crimea and Sevastopol, which Russia considers part of its territory.
Despite confirmation of the delivery, Russia continued to express concerns about the potential use of long-range missiles targeting the Crimean bridge. Fear is that Ukraine could use these missiles against the bridge, resulting in an escalation of tensions in the region. Despite these concerns, the United States included long-range Atacms missiles as part of a larger arms shipment to Ukraine in March as part of an aid package worth $300 million.
Short-range Atacms missiles had previously been sent to Ukraine; however, long-range missiles had always been atop Ukraine’s wish list. The United States had been hesitant to provide weapon systems that would enable Ukraine to attack deeper into Russia’s territory due to concerns about an escalation of conflict. Additionally, Germany had been reluctant to fulfill Ukraine’s request for long-range Taurus missiles due to similar fears of an escalation of conflict during a visit to Berlin by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz earlier this year reiterated his decision not to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine.
While obtaining long-range missile systems posed challenges for Ukraine, Europe has expressed its commitment to supporting them in their fight against Russian aggression. The ongoing conflict between Russia and NATO continues to be a focus of international concern as efforts are made
