The Biden administration recently and secretly supplied Ukraine with long-range missiles, according to multiple reports.
Ukraine's military used the long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) on Tuesday to strike nine Russian helicopters in eastern Ukraine, Politico reported.
The move to supply Ukraine with the ATACMS — offering the ability to attack far behind the front lines — indicated a ramp up in the administration's defense of the country in its war against Russia, two sources told Politico.
The administration has grown concerned about a Russian buildup of troops and equipment for a fall offensive, the outlet added.
The Pentagon said it was referring all questions about the ATACMS to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, CNN reported.
The news comes as the U.S. also is supporting Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
Ukraine on Tuesday announced that its forces had destroyed nine Russian helicopters, as well as other military equipment, in an attack on the cities of Berdyansk and Luhansk in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine.
NBC News reported last month that President Joe Biden told Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the U.S. would provide Kyiv with a small number of long-range missiles.
Biden had been hesitant to send ATACMS to Ukraine because the weapons have the ability to hit deep into Russian territory, enraging Moscow and escalating the conflict.
"Our position all along has been we will get Ukraine the capabilities that will enable it to succeed on the battlefield," Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said, The Wall Street Journal reported in September. "And we will continue to assess the situation on the ground and make decisions based on that."
The Associated Press said the ATACMS version that went to Ukraine have a shorter range than the maximum distance the missiles can have.
While some versions of the missiles can go as far as about 180 miles, those sent to Ukraine have a shorter range and carry cluster munitions, which when fired, open in the air, releasing hundreds of bomblets, rather than a single warhead.
The ATACMS weapons can be fired by the HIMARS launcher the U.S. provided to Ukraine last year.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee in June passed a bipartisan resolution urging the Biden administration to immediately transfer ATACMS to Ukraine.
"By not giving Ukraine the weapons it needs to win this war, the administration is prolonging the conflict and costing countless Ukrainian lives," said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the Journal reported.
Charlie McCarthy ✉
Charlie McCarthy, a writer/editor at Newsmax, has nearly 40 years of experience covering news, sports, and politics.
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