Ukraine’s Defense Minister Umerov Presents US Officials with a List of Strike Targets in Russia

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has called on the Biden administration to reconsider its stance on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons for strikes deep within Russian territory. In a Friday interview with CNN, Umerov confirmed that during meetings with top US officials in Washington, he presented a list of potential targets in Russia that Ukraine aims to hit.

“We have outlined the capabilities we need to protect our citizens from Russian aggression, and I hope our message was received,” Umerov told CNN.

Despite ongoing requests from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the US has so far held firm on its policy against permitting Ukraine to deploy US-provided Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) for long-range strikes into Russia. Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder emphasized that while the US supports Ukraine’s right to defend itself against cross-border attacks, its policy on deep strikes into Russian territory remains unchanged.

Ukraine’s current stock of ATACMS is limited, and a US official noted that Kyiv should not expect additional significant deliveries due to the restricted supply and lengthy production process. Furthermore, many high-value targets in Russia are reportedly out of the missiles' reach, as Russian forces have relocated critical military assets further from the front lines.

Umerov, however, argued that Ukraine’s identified targets, including airfields used by Russia to launch attacks on Ukrainian cities, are within ATACMS' range. He highlighted that Ukraine has already used its ATACMS supply to strike key Russian assets in occupied Crimea, which falls entirely within the missile’s range.

To protect Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure from ongoing Russian attacks, Umerov stressed the importance of lifting the current restrictions on ATACMS. “They are killing our citizens. We need to deter them and stop their aviation from getting close enough to bomb our cities,” he said.

In addition to addressing the ATACMS issue, Umerov commented on the recent dismissal of Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleshchuk following the crash of a US-made F-16 fighter jet. Umerov denied any link between the firing and the crash, describing Oleshchuk’s removal as part of a routine rotation. The crash, which resulted in the death of a top Ukrainian pilot, is currently under investigation by Ukrainian authorities.

On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces have made advances in the Russian oblast of Kursk, with Ukraine’s top commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reporting that troops have advanced up to two kilometers and secured five square kilometers of territory. Regarding Ukraine’s Kursk operation, Umerov stated that the primary focus is on the strategic advantages the area provides Ukraine, rather than on holding the Russian territory as leverage for trading it for temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. “We are focused to increase our capabilities to withstand, to repel the Russians from the temporary occupied territories,” said Defense Minister Umerov.