United States: In response to a top Ukrainian intelligence official's threat of additional attacks inside Russia, President Joe Biden's administration reportedly decided to send long-range rockets to Ukraine, targeting Kyiv's forces far from the front.Was able to hit
A future military aid package for Ukraine worth more than $2 billion will include Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) rocket artillery munitions with a range of 150 kilometers, according to two unnamed US officials familiar with the plans.
Other anti-tank weapons are also included in the package, along with support gear for more Javelin anti-tank weapons, mine-resistant vehicles, multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), and Patriot air defense systems.
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The GLSDB rockets will nearly double the range of the MLRS and HIMARS ammunition that Washington and its NATO allies have previously provided, giving the Ukrainian military more reach.
The prospect of an escalating major conflict with Moscow had made Biden hesitant to send weapons that could strike Russian soil, but in recent weeks, he has authorized increasingly provocative aid.
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Even though Biden initially said back in March that the US would not provide tanks or aircraft, saying "this is called World War III," Washington last week approved plans to send M1 Abrams tanks to Kyiv.
US-made tanks are expected to reach Ukraine by the end of this year or even in 2024, with the first shipment of 60 Bradley Fighting Vehicles previously approved already on their way, the US Transportation Command said on Monday.
The Boeing Company, an American defense contractor, is building the GLSDB as part of Kyiv's plan to quickly put the new weapons into production. The M26 rocket motor and the GBU-39 small-diameter warhead, both of which can be found in the US arsenal, are combined in this equipment.
According to reports, Washington will not accede to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky's repeated requests for the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has a range of about 300 kilometers, or twice that of the GLSDB.
Even though US officials have said they do not want the weapons they provide to Ukraine to be used in attacks on Russian soil, Kyiv's forces seem to have no problem with carrying them out.
Ned Price, a spokesman for the US State Department, reiterated Washington's position earlier this month that Kyiv is free to choose its targets, including Crimea, which it claims is still Ukrainian territory.
Kirill Budanov, the head of Ukrainian intelligence, vowed on Tuesday that "there will be issues inside Russia until Ukraine's territorial integrity is restored." Additionally, he said that Kyiv hopes to recapture Crimea by this summer.
The Kremlin has vowed to use "more powerful weapons" in response to any threats to Russian territory, including Crimea and the territories it annexed to Russia in September.
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Earlier this month, Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin issued a warning about a possible "global tragedy" for humanity if Western countries continued to supply Kyiv with weapons that it plans to use to attack civilian cities and destroy Russian cities. Could do to try to capture the area.