The long-range missiles that Ukraine could soon fire deep into Russia

The US and the UK may be on the verge of taking a potentially significant step in the war in Ukraine, with reports suggesting both countries may soon allow Kyiv to use their long-range weapons to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.

US President Joe Biden is currently working on the details of a plan to lift some restrictions, Politico reported on September 11, citing unnamed officials familiar with the discussions.

According to the Guardian, Britain has already unofficially decided to allow Ukraine to use British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for long-range strikes deep inside Russia, but there has been no public announcement.

Kyiv has long called for the restrictions to be lifted so it can attack military targets such as airfields deep inside Russia. Given the existing bans, it cannot effectively protect Ukrainian cities from increasing air strikes, Kyiv says.

So far, Washington has repeatedly stated that the conflict with Russia could escalate if Ukraine is allowed to penetrate deep into Russian territory with American weapons.

If the restrictions are lifted, these would be the two missiles that could be immediately operational and the two that cannot.

ATACMS

ATACMS, whose full name is MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System, is a short-range supersonic tactical ballistic missile.

They are fired from HIMARS, a multiple rocket launcher system mounted on the chassis of a 6×6 FMTV truck, providing devastating firepower from a highly mobile platform.

HIMARS, whose skills became a popular subject for internet memes, changed the rules of the game for Ukraine when they first arrived in the summer of 2022.

They were initially equipped with GMLRS missiles with a range of around 70 kilometers, enabling Ukraine to attack Russian forces on the other side of the front line far more precisely than before.

In the fall of 2023, the United States began supplying Kyiv with an older ATACMS model with a range of about 165 kilometers, significantly increasing Ukraine's range.

In spring 2024, the New York Times reported that the United States had delivered around 100 modernized versions of the ATACMS missiles, which have a range of up to 300 kilometers.

Ukraine has used them successfully, particularly to attack targets in occupied Crimea. Russian airfields, military ferry crossings and the Crimean Bridge have been repeatedly attacked.

Their use on Russian territory may already be restricted, even if Western partners grant Ukraine permission to do so. Russia has reportedly moved 90 percent of its military aircraft to bases outside the range of long-range ATACMS systems, a US official told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in a statement published on August 27.

Storm Shadow/SCALP

Storm Shadows are long-range air-launched cruise missiles developed jointly by the UK and France (the French version is called SCALP) and first arrived in Ukraine in May 2023.

The missile's range is around 550 kilometers, but the export versions delivered to Ukraine are limited to 300 kilometers.

Its 450-kilogram warhead has a far greater striking power than the Ukrainian combat drones. Storm Shadows were responsible for some of the most devastating attacks on Russian-occupied Crimea.

One of the most spectacular incidents was captured on video in September last year, when Ukraine hit the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet with at least three of these missiles, reportedly killing more than 30 officers.

The ships of the Black Sea Fleet also fell victim to the storm's shadow. In December, the landing ship Novocherkassk, anchored in Feodosia, was turned into a burning wreck by the missiles, said Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuri Ihnat.

JASSM

Ukraine does not currently have Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), but recent reports suggest the United States may send some in the coming weeks.

Politico reported on August 15, citing unnamed sources, that President Joe Biden's administration was “open” to supplying Kyiv with long-range cruise missiles to reinforce the recently delivered F-16 fighter jets.

The missile can be fired from fourth-generation F-16 aircraft over 200 miles (nearly 322 kilometers) and would significantly increase the combat capabilities of the aircraft, which are unlikely to fly near the Russian border due to the risk of being shot down.

TAURUS

While the US and UK are now at least open to discussions about allowing Ukraine to use Storm Shadows and ATACMS to launch strikes deep inside Russian territory, the same cannot be said of Germany and its Taurus missiles.

Taurus is a cruise missile of German and Swedish production with a range of over 500 kilometers, which would enable Kiev to hit targets deeper inside Russia.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has always opposed the deployment of long-range missiles to Ukraine, even for attacks on Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine.

According to reports from May, Scholz fears that this would pose a risk of Berlin becoming involved in the war.

Scholz has been pressured by European allies to change his mind. In late May, then-British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps called on Berlin and other allies capable of deploying long-range missiles to do so and allow Kyiv to use them against Russian-occupied Crimea, “which is part of Ukraine,” he said.

Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 during the Euromaidan revolution in Ukraine and has occupied the peninsula ever since.

Putin delays new mobilization even as Kursk invasion reveals troop shortage

Amid speculation that the Kremlin is considering a new mobilization of conscripts, some prospective conscripts say they are not exactly enthusiastic about defending Russian territory just a month after the Ukrainian invasion of Kursk Oblast. “I will not go (to the front). I swore an oath to the Constitution…”