A new US intelligence assessment revealed that since Ukraine began receiving The US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) missiles, Russia has responded by relocating 90% of its aircraft to military bases outside the missiles' range, an unnamed US official disclosed this information to The Wall Street Journal.
According to the report, despite Ukraine’s intensified calls for the US to lift the ATACMS ban on targeting Russia and the recent large-scale shelling, the Biden administration remains firm in its stance.
“Launching ATACMS into Russian territory will have minimal impact today,” the official noted, adding that Ukraine is likely to achieve greater success using its indigenous drones, which have been effectively striking targets in Russia in recent months.
While the US has ramped up ATACMS production, the official emphasized that supplies remain limited, and the Pentagon has only so much to provide to Ukraine.
ATACMS have a range of approximately 165-300 kilometers. The United States first supplied these long-range missiles to Ukraine in March 2024.
Ukraine has been scaling up domestic defense production to target key locations in Russia without being constrained by Western restrictions. The newly developed “Palianytsia” long-range missile drone was specifically designed to strike Russian airfields.
On August 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine successfully tested its first domestically-produced ballistic missile. This announcement was made during the “Ukraine 2024. Independence” forum.
