The United States admits to secretly sending ATACMS long-range missiles to Ukraine: PPTVHD36

The Pentagon has revealed that Before the latest aid budget was passed It had secretly sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in previous aid packages.

The US Department of Defense or the Pentagon has admitted that It sent long-range missiles to Ukraine in early April, secretly sending them in secret without informing the public.

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Garron Garn said President Joe Biden secretly approved the delivery of ATACMS long-range missiles to Ukraine in February. A US$300 million (11 billion baht) aid package was announced on March 12 and was finally delivered to Ukraine in early April.

Garn said: “There was no announcement that we were providing this new capability to Ukraine at that time. to maintain operational stability for Ukraine at their request.”

There is a report stating that Biden ordered the secret delivery of ATACMS to Ukraine after Russia purchased and used North Korean missiles to attack civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

Another Pentagon spokesman, Lt. Col. Charlie Dietz, said: “We have warned Russia not to receive missiles from North Korea. And do not launch another attack on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.”

It is expected that the United States The ATACMS long-range missile will be delivered to Ukraine in addition to the latest US$60.8 billion aid package that Biden signed on April 24.

Ukraine has repeatedly asked for military equipment and other support from the United States during the recent Russian offensive. But the Biden administration and Congress disagree.

This was partly due to concerns that it might provoke Russia. And another factor that opposes sending long-range missiles to Ukraine is readiness concerns Because such powerful missiles require time and complex components to produce, Lockheed Martin, which makes the ATACMS, is only able to produce about 500 at full capacity per year.

The long-range ATACMS missile is capable of hitting targets as far away as 300 kilometers away, making it a potentially huge weapon for Ukraine to use to counter Russian advances.

Compiled from CNN