Trump denounces US support for strikes deep into Russia
Donald Trump believes that shelling targets deep within Russia only escalates the ongoing war. The Ukrainians have limited weaponry to accomplish this. However, the list does include American ATACMS missiles, whose capabilities we remind you of.
The President-elect of the U.S. disagrees with many decisions made by Joe Biden's administration regarding Ukraine. This includes the delivery of long-range weapons like ATACMS missiles, particularly allowing their use to attack targets deep within Russia. The last such incident occurred on December 11th when ATACMS missiles struck the airport in Taganrog.
Donald Trump sharply criticizes attacks deep in Russia
"It's crazy what's taking place. It's crazy. I disagree very vehemently with sending missiles hundreds of miles into Russia. Why are we doing that? We're just escalating this war and making it worse. That should not have been allowed to be done," said Trump in an interview with "Time" magazine.
The Joe Biden administration initially decided to provide Ukraine with older ATACMS variants (M39), with a range estimated at about 160 kilometres. However, as time passed, newer versions began to appear in aid packages, capable of striking targets at a distance of up to 300 kilometres.
A breakthrough occurred in November when U.S. President Joe Biden gave Ukraine the green light to use American weaponry to strike targets deep inside Russia. It was reported that the decision was made partly due to the tightening cooperation between Russia and North Korea, which resulted in the deployment of North Korean soldiers to Russia's Kursk region.
Long-range weaponry in the hands of Ukraine
ATACMS are ballistic missiles manufactured by Lockheed Martin, measuring about 4 metres in length. Older and newer versions differ not only in range but also in warheads and navigation systems. The newer versions have satellite navigation (not just inertial navigation), significantly increasing attack precision. From the Ukrainian point of view, a vital feature of ATACMS is the ability to launch them not from aircraft but from HIMARS launchers, which they also received as part of support.
ATACMS ballistic missiles are one of the few Western long-range weapons in the Ukrainian arsenal. Among allies, the UK and France also provide support with the delivery of Storm Shadow and SCALP-EG cruise missiles. To launch them, aircraft are needed, which forced the Ukrainians to make appropriate modifications to the Su-24.
