Blinken discusses the use of long-range weapons against Russia in Ukraine

This article was last updated on September 11, 2024

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Blinken discusses the use of long-range weapons against Russia in Ukraine

US Secretary of State Blinken and his British counterpart Lammy are in Kyiv for consultations with Ukrainian leaders. There they discuss, among other things, the use of long-range missiles against Russia.

The ministers went by train to the Ukrainian capital. Ahead of the trip, Blinken and Lammy expressed concerns about Iranian support for Moscow. Blinken accused Iran of supplying short-range missiles to Russia, which the US secretary said was “a threat to European and global security”.

With more short-range missiles, Russia can target Ukrainian cities close to the border or the front, in addition to the long-range missiles that are deployed deeper into Ukrainian territory. In addition, Ukrainian troops and the population have been dealing with devastating hover bombs for several months now, which can wipe out entire apartment complexes.

Ukrainian President Zelensky has therefore been pushing for permission for the use of long-range weapons for several months. This will allow Kyiv to strike back better. The hover bombs are often launched from air bases far from the Russian-Ukrainian border. Ukraine wants to attack them, but is currently not allowed to do so with American missiles.

Fear of escalation

Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, the US has been reluctant to supply long-range weapons to Kyiv and authorize their deployment, fearing the conflict would further escalate.

The Kremlin has repeatedly hinted at the use of nuclear weapons if Russia is attacked. Other countries that supply weapons are also cautious. The United Kingdom, which has supplied Storm Shadow long-range missiles, does not want to give permission without US approval.

Yesterday, President Biden hinted that that line may be abandoned. Asked whether the US would lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons, Biden said his administration is “working that out.”

Blinken said ahead of his visit to Kyiv that ministers want to hear “directly from Ukrainian leadership” about their “goals and what we can do to support those needs.”

What long-range weapons does Ukraine have?

Since last year, Ukraine has had long-range missiles from France and the United Kingdom (Scalp and Storm Shadow). The disadvantage of these is that they have to be launched with an aircraft. They have a range of about 250 kilometers.

This year the US sent a number of Atacm ballistic missile systems capable of hitting targets up to 300 kilometers away. One advantage is that they are launched from a truck-mounted installation and are faster than the French and British rockets.

The German Taurus missile has the longest range (500 kilometers), but so far Germany does not want to supply that weapon system.

While talks are ongoing in Kyiv, Russia has launched a counter-offensive in the Kursk region to drive back Ukrainian forces. They invaded the region in early August and, according to Ukraine, have an area of ​​1,300 square kilometers and about a hundred settlements under control. According to a commander of a Russian unit in Kursk, Russian forces have retaken 10 villages, but the claims cannot be independently confirmed.