USA President Joe Biden has authorized Zelensky to use powerful US missiles to hit targets inside Russia, according to CNN.
Ukraine plans to conduct its first long-range attacks in the coming days, the sources said, without revealing details due to operational security concerns.
The move by the United States two months before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20 follows months of requests by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to allow Ukraine’s military to use U.S. weapons to hit Russian military targets far from its border.
The decision allowing Ukraine to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs, for attacks farther into Russia comes as thousands of North Korean troops have been sent into a region along Ukraine’s northern border to help Russia retake ground and as President-elect Donald Trump has said he would bring about a swift end to the war, expressing skepticism over continued support by the United States.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and many of his Western supporters have been pressing Biden for months to allow Ukraine to strike military targets deeper inside Russia with Western-supplied missiles, saying the U.S. ban had made it impossible for Ukraine to try to stop Russian attacks on its cities and electrical grids.
The MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, is made by Lockheed Martin.
These missiles can reach up to 300km (186 miles) and are tough to intercept due to their high speed.
The US sent these weapons as part of a support package, and they’ve already been used at least once to hit Russian targets in occupied Crimea.
They allow Ukraine to strike deeper into areas held by Russia, targeting bases, storage facilities, and logistics hubs.
Russia has previously stated that this weaponry “will not fundamentally change the outcome” of the war, but Putin has cautioned the US against their use on Russian territory