- President Joe Biden will allow Ukraine to strike Russia with US-provided long-range missiles.
- The US previously restricted Ukraine from striking Russia with the powerful ATACMS.
- The major development follows Russia’s decision to include North Korea in the conflict.
President Joe Biden has authorized the use of powerful, US-provided long-range missiles for Ukraine to strike inside Russia, according to multiple reports.
The Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, will likely be used against targets in Russia’s Kursk region, The New York Times first reported on Sunday. Ukraine launched a surprise invasion there in early August.
The policy shift, which comes just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, came after Russia launched a widespread missile and drone attack targeting Ukraine’s power grid on Sunday.
It also comes as North Korea joins the war. US intelligence reported earlier this month that thousands of North Korean troops clad in Russian gear were set to hit the front lines in Kursk, and they have already seen combat against Kyiv’s forces in the region.
The move is a significant shift in US policy.
The US provided Ukraine with ATACMS in the fall of 2023, although Kyiv had long been restricted from striking across Russia’s borders and instead was limited to targets in the Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine. The longer-range variant of the missile can travel a little under 200 miles.
Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have long tried to get the United States to drop the restrictions. They were thought to be in place because the Biden administration feared a policy shift could escalate the conflict. Zelenskyy did not immediately comment on the development.
Military experts previously told Business Insider that the ATACMS restrictions were hindering Ukraine’s progress by making it harder to target the source of Russian attacks and instead forcing Kyiv to defend against each attack as it occurred.
However, despite the restrictions, Ukraine has used an arsenal of domestically produced drones and missiles to carry out long-range strikes on key military and energy facilities inside Russia.
Biden’s decision will allow Ukraine to train its sights on some 245 Russian targets using ATACMS. Beyond the US-provided missiles, Kyiv also fields long-range cruise missiles that the UK and France provided.
The Defense Department and the White House National Security Council declined to comment on the decision.
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