By the time Ukraine runs out of all these high-yield missiles, it should enjoy an effective combat season with ATACMS. With their shortage, the politics of the war will change and, according to experts, Ukrainian forces will have to rely more on local ammunition.
Apparently, Ukraine has at its disposal less than 50 American long-range ATACMS missiles. The US probably delivered these more than 1,600-kilogram missiles to Ukraine at the end of 2023 and then in March of this year. A part of them was used by the Ukrainian army during the past year, most recently also on military targets on the territory of Russia, he writes.
The White House of Ukraine authorized attacks in and around the Kursk region in western Russia. Approximately 20,000 Ukrainian troops are defending this area against over 50,000 Russian and North Korean soldiers. Briansk, the target of Tuesday’s ATACMS airstrike, is also located not far from this territory.
Saving missiles on the most valuable targets
Forbes points out that there are likely to have been only two deliveries of these missiles dating back to the 1990s, totaling approximately 50 ATACMS missiles. Over the past year, the Ukrainian military has conducted at least eight ATACMS airstrikes, with most airstrikes using more than one missile. The limited number of missiles probably means that Kyiv will probably save its ATACMS for the most valuable targets, the destruction of which would have a fundamental impact on Russian capabilities.
However, it is also important to think about the expected support of Joe Biden and his administration. Even in the light of the newly elected Republican President Donald Trump, it has the opportunity to donate arms worth billions of dollars to Ukraine. This should happen before Trump, who has spoken out against further aid to Ukraine, takes office at the end of January, writes Forbes. It is these billions that could cover the cost of replacing ATACMS missiles – their production price is around one million dollars.
At the same time, indications began to appear in British government circles that the US has also allowed Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles for attacks on the territory of the Russian Federation, he writes. According to a source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the turning point occurred when Russia involved North Korean soldiers in the aggression against Ukraine. Now, US approval for Storm Shadow is expected, especially considering that Ukraine has already used American long-range missiles for attacks against Russia, writes the Ukrainian daily Evropska Pravda.
