Ukraine asks US to lift ban on ATACMS attacks on Russian territory
According to RIA Novosti on June 23, AP news agency said that Ukraine is putting pressure on the US to lift the ban on using long-range tactical missiles ATACMS to attack Russian territory.
“Ukrainian officials are pressuring US allies to strike particularly sensitive targets deep inside Russian territory with ATACMS missiles,” AP said.
According to AP, Ukraine wants to convince Washington to agree to allow launching long-range missiles deep into Russian territory at a distance of 100-150 km.
AP added that Kiev believes that only by “falling 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 modern weapons. However, US restrictions prevent Ukraine from effectively using ATACMS. To solve this dilemma, Ukraine decided to upgrade the Neptune anti-ship missile into a land-attack version so that they have more options for attacking Russia.
According to Western and Ukrainian media, Kiev appears to have used the ground-attack version of the Neptune to target Russian air defense systems in Crimea, attack Moscow oil depots in the Caucasus, Krasnodar Krai region, and energy facilities near Chushka.
