Ukraine has been asking for the long-range missiles for months. Now President Volodymyr Zelensky has been satisfied by the United States: Kiev has already started receiving the Atacms to strike deep into Russia in the ongoing war for over 2 years. President Joe Biden signed the law that includes the aid and arms package for 61 billion dollars.
The 'surprise' package
The Atacms, however, were already delivered in secret to Kiev at the beginning of the month, as foreseen by a 300 million package authorized on March 12 amidst general indifference. A limited supply, apparently.
“It was not announced that we are providing Ukraine” with the new Atacms “because we wanted to maintain operational security for Ukraine, as they requested,” explained Colonel Garron Garn, Pentagon spokesman. In essence, Kiev asked for discretion in the management of the 'mini-package'. Everything suggests, therefore, that the new missiles have already been used against Russia.
The old and new Atacms, the differences
In the autumn of last year, the United States sent the 'mid-range' version of the missiles to Ukraine, capable of hitting targets about 160 km away. Now, the new Atacms can change the picture in the field as they can be launched over 300 km. The characteristics of the weapons allow Ukraine to use a different approach in an extremely complicated conflict over the past 6 months.
Kiev's forces were forced to give up ground along the Eastern Front, due to inferiority in terms of men and ammunition. Now, the new Atacms can provide greater cover to Kiev's army and can complicate the plans of Moscow, which in recent months has been free to hit Ukrainian cities almost daily with very heavy raids.
The spotlight is also on eastern Ukraine. Russia continues to press, gaining ground in the Ocheretyne area, where a railway junction is of particular importance, and the village of Novobakhmutivka. Moscow's forces also tried to conquer positions in the Chasiv Yar area, about forty kilometers further north, but were repelled at the time.
Putin's plan in the face of new weapons
The 'official' entry of the long-range Atacms into the theater of war inevitably forces Russia to review its plans. Over a month ago, President Vladimir Putin referred to the possibility of creating a buffer zone to protect the regions that Moscow has annexed. The Kharkiv region has come under the spotlighta 'candidate' to become the target of the offensive that Russia could launch between the end of spring and the beginning of summer.
Putin's plan was confirmed in the last few hours by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who responded to a specific question: “Nothing has changed” compared to the leader's words. The issue of long-range weapons and potential attacks on the areas in which they are concentrated “is the responsibility of the armed forces. We are not qualified to say anything about it”, he added, glossing over the operational details.
#Ukraine #Atacms #missiles #war #Putin39s #plan