Ukraine has asked the US to lift the ban on ATACMS attacking Russian territory.
According to RIA Novosti on June 23, the Associated Press reported that Ukraine is pressuring the US to lift the ban on the use of ATACMS long-range tactical missiles to attack Russian territory.
"Ukrainian officials are pressuring U.S. allies to allow them to strike highly sensitive targets deep inside Russian territory with ATACMS missiles," AP reported.
According to AP, Ukraine wants to persuade Washington to agree to allow the launch of long-range missiles deep into Russian territory at a distance of 100-150 km.
AP added that Kyiv believes that only when it "falls into desperate conditions on the battlefield" can it force the US to lift the restrictions.
The US-made MGM-140 ATACMS tactical missile is considered one of Ukraine's most advanced weapons. However, US restrictions prevent Ukraine from effectively utilizing the ATACMS. To resolve this dilemma, Ukraine has decided to upgrade the Neptune anti-ship missile into a ground-attack version, giving them an additional weapon option for striking Russia.
According to Western and Ukrainian media, Kyiv appears to have used the ground-attack version of Neptune to target Russian air defenses in Crimea, attack Moscow oil depots in the Caucasus, the Krasnodar Krai region, and energy facilities near Chushka.
