Forbes reported on November 19 that Ukraine may have received fewer than 50 ATACMS missiles through two shipments in late 2023 and March 2024, highlighting Ukraine’s limited capacity to strike inside Russia despite recent US permission to use these long-range missiles.
There probably aren’t many of the 190-mile-range ATACMS left in the Ukrainian inventory, according to Forbes.
According to Tatarigami, founder of Frontelligence Insight, Ukraine’s potential to inflict damage has increased, but faces significant limitations.
Ukraine has begun using ATACMS missiles against targets in Russia, with a recent strike on a munitions depot in Bryansk Oblast and Novgorod Oblast. The attack comes just a few days after President Biden authorized Ukraine to use its long-range missiles for strikes deep inside Russian territory on 17 November.
The White House has restricted strikes to the Kursk Oblast Oblast, where approximately 20,000 Ukrainian troops face more than 50,000 Russian and North Korean forces.
The Times reports they will initially target Russian and North Korean troops in the Kursk Oblast as Russia reportedly prepares a large assault with the deployment of the Korean troops there.
“While the Ukrainians were likely to use the missiles first against Russian and North Korean troops that threaten Ukrainian forces in Kursk, Mr. Biden could authorize them to use the weapons elsewhere,” the officials said to The New York Times.
Read also:
- Russian ammunition storage hit in drone strike 680km from border with Ukraine
- New Taurus missile proposal for Ukraine will be set for Bundestag vote
- “Mini-Taurus” drones Germany pledges for Ukraine are no match for long-range Taurus missiles, analysts say
- Ukraine hit strategic Russian ammo depot in overnight attack, likely using ATACMS (video)
