Ukraine plans to attack Russia with long-range weapons soon.
Reuters reports that Ukraine plans to attack Russia with long-range weapons in the coming days.
According to RIA Novosti, citing sources cited by Reuters on November 18, Ukraine plans to attack Russian territory with long-range weapons in the near future.
"Ukraine plans to carry out its first attacks with long-range weapons in the coming days," Reuters reported.
It has been suggested that the first attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces deep into Russian territory will most likely be carried out using ATACMS missiles.
On the evening of November 17, the New York Times, citing unnamed US government officials, reported that US President Joe Biden had for the first time authorized Ukraine to use long-range missiles to attack Russian territory. According to the New York Times, the White House leader took this step after reports emerged of “the presence of North Korean military personnel in the Kursk region.”
Meanwhile, the Figaro newspaper reported that France and the UK allowed Ukraine to fire Scalp and Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory. However, this information has not been officially confirmed.
However, the Times reported that the US may not allow Ukraine to use British Storm Shadow long-range missiles to attack Russian territory.
The newspaper wrote: “Downing Street sources indicate that ATACMS, authorized by President Biden, has different military characteristics from the Storm Shadow missile. This could mean that the U.S. will still not authorize the use of Storm Shadow, despite specific government requests.”
The Times noted that the Storm Shadow missile, developed by the UK, requires American technology and its use must be pre-approved.
The ATACMS tactical missile can hit targets at distances up to 300 km. Meanwhile, the destructive range of the Storm Shadow cruise missile varies from 250 to 560 km, depending on the modification.
On the Russian side, President Vladimir Putin has stated that NATO countries are discussing not only the possibility of using long-range weapons by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but also direct involvement in the conflict in Ukraine.
According to Putin, the Kiev authorities attacked Russian territory with drones and other means. “When it comes to the use of long-range, high-precision weapons of Western origin, it is important to understand that these operations are carried out with the participation of the armed forces of the coalition countries, as only they are capable of performing flight missions with missile systems,” the Russian president explained.
