Ukraine Could Use New Weapons to Hit Russian Targets in Crimea, Pentagon Says

Ukrainian forces will be able to use a newly delivered, coveted long-range missile system to more effectively target Russian forces in occupied Crimea, senior Pentagon officials said on Thursday.

After months of requests, Ukraine received a longer-range version of the Army Tactical Missile Systems, known as ATACMS, which can travel 190 miles. Before the delivery this month, the United States had supplied Ukraine with a version of the system that has a 100-mile range and is armed with wide-spreading cluster munitions.

Much of the long-delayed weapons deliveries would need to initially focus on shoring up Ukraine’s defenses, U.S. national security officials said. The new system can reach deeper into Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine and target supply nodes for Russian forces in the southeast.

The goal for the new longer-range systems is to put more pressure on Crimea, a hub of Russian air and ground forces, “where, right now, Russia has had relatively safe haven,” a senior defense official told reporters during a news briefing at the Pentagon on Thursday.

Pentagon officials refused to specify the exact number of long-range systems that have been sent to Ukraine. The Biden administration sent the longer-range ATACMS secretly, to avoid alerting the Russians. They were part of a $300 million shipment announced in March that was the first new aid package for the country since funding ran out in late December. Congress approved a new round of military assistance to Ukraine this week.

Ukraine used the longer-range missiles overnight Tuesday to strike Russian troops in the port city of Berdiansk, a senior U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters. Social media accounts in Ukraine