The New York Times reported on Wednesday that President Joe Biden secretly approved a major foreign policy shift in mid-February.
The decision led to the U.S. sending a long-range version of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to Ukraine, which Kyiv used last week to strike a Russian airbase in Crimea and last night to strike enemy troops in southeastern Ukraine.
The highly accurate, GPS-guided missiles with cluster munitions have ranges of over 190 miles.
They give President Volodymyr Zelensky the ability to strike anywhere in the Crimean Peninsula, a major base for Russian airpower and key supply hub for its forces in southeastern Ukraine:
The United States last week secretly shipped a new long-range missile system to Ukraine, and Ukrainian forces immediately used the weapons to attack a Russian military airfield in Crimea last Wednesday and Russian troops in the country's southeast overnight on Tuesday, according to a senior U.S. official.
Overnight Tuesday, Ukraine used the longer-range missiles to strike Russian troops in the port city of Berdiansk on the Sea of Azov, the senior U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.
Last Wednesday, social media accounts in Ukraine reported large fires and explosions at a military airfield in Dzhankoi, Crimea, which the senior administration official said was also a long-range ATACMS target. In an address that evening, President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, the top Ukrainian commander, but did not elaborate on the attack.
In a major policy shift, President Biden secretly approved the decision to send more than 100 of the longer-range missiles in mid-February, the senior U.S. official said, as well as more of the cluster munition variant. They were part of a $300 million shipment of weapons to Ukraine in March, the first new aid package for the country since funding ran out in late December.
Zelensky praised the U.S. Congress' most recent aid package, saying it will give his besieged country a chance at victory.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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