United States Greenlights Ukraine to Strike Russia With Long-Range U.S. Missiles

Photo via Reuters

LUKE MADDEN: In a reversal of previous policy, President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use long-range US-made missiles on Russian soil as North Korean troops support the Russian war effort.

After a surprise summer counteroffensive that saw Ukraine occupy parts of the Kursk Oblast, Russia has dedicated a significant amount of resources to retaking the region. Moscow recently deployed nearly 50,000 troops to the area in an attempt to retake it, including by 10,000 recently-arrived North Korean soldiers that marked a significant escalation in the ongoing war. One US official said that Russia is trying to retake Kursk so it cannot be used as a bargaining chip in any future negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.

While Ukrainian leadership has pressed for more advanced weaponry to stall the Russian offensive, the US initially refused for two years to send Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), long-range American missiles that could be used to strike targets deep inside Russian territory, due to concerns over escalating the war and the dwindling stockpiles of the weapons. 

However, Biden reversed course in February, secretly approving the transfer of ATACMS to Ukraine, with the first delivery arriving in April. This followed a similar trend over recent years of the US agreeing to send equipment such as Patriot missiles, Abrams tanks and F-16 fighter jets that it had previously refused to send.

US officials initially refused to authorize any strikes on Russian soil, arguing that Ukraine’s growing domestic drone industry was able to manufacture attack drones with longer ranges than ATACMS, and that the 200-mile long range of the ATACMS was not able to strike one of the most important targets: Russian aircraft launching long-range glide bombs that have devastated Ukrainian positions. One US official estimated that 90% of these aircraft were out of range of ATACMS, as Russia pulled key targets back from the front line.

Furthermore, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West in September that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to an attack by conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any offensive supported by a nuclear power to be a joint attack. The statement came during a time when the US and the United Kingdom were considering whether to give Ukraine permission to fire conventional missiles into Russia.

Ever since the initial transfer of ATACMS, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pressing for Washington to allow the missiles to be used inside Russia to give Ukraine a more advantageous position. When Zelensky and Biden met at the White House in September, Zelensky brought with him a list of targets in Russia that he wanted to hit with U.S.-provided weapons as part of his overall “victory plan” for winning the war. While Biden was not dismissive, the two agreed to discuss the subject more in the future

The decision by Biden reportedly was under consideration for months. It remains unclear whether the Biden Administration will send more ATACMS to Ukraine with the $7.1 billion remaining in the Presidential Drawdown Authority, which allows the military to send Ukraine supplies directly from US inventories, or whether the policy will apply only to the relatively few missiles in Ukraine’s stockpile.

In response to the US’s announcement, Zelensky said on Telegram, “Today, there is a lot of talk in the media about us receiving a permit for respective actions. Hits are not made with words. Such things don’t need announcements. Missiles will speak for themselves.”

The UK and France were quick to follow the US’s decision, allowing Ukraine to use the Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles in Russian territory, jointly developed and produced by France and Britain.

Biden’s decision comes at a time when the US and its allies are trying to ensure that Ukraine is supported through the end of 2025 as a way to “Trump-proof” US aid. A Trump transition spokesperson declined to address reports that Biden had authorized Ukraine to use long-range American missiles inside Russia. Trump communications director Steven Cheung did not respond to questions about whether Trump or his incoming national security advisors had received advance notice from Biden about the decision, which could have a serious impact on the current conflict.

While some have argued that the approval for ATACMS comes too little too late, it is clear that Ukraine is trying to make the best of the decision as Russia commits more soldiers in an attempt to seize as much territory as possible before any potential peace deal. Though the outcomes of this decision remain murky, Biden’s announcement comes at a critical point for the Ukrainian war effort, especially with the uncertainty that will herald the arrival of the incoming Trump Administration in January.

Luke Madden is a staff writer for On the Record. He is a freshman in the School of Foreign Service currently undeclared, but planning on studying International Political Economy or International Politics. He is originally from Pasadena, California.