The United States is nearing an agreement to provide Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles capable of reaching deep into Russia. The inclusion of the air-to-ground missiles (JASSM) in the arms package is expected to be announced this fall. However, the final decision has not yet been made.
This was reported by Reuters with reference to American officials.
The publication notes that sending JASSM to Ukraine could significantly change the strategic landscape of the conflict by putting more of Russia's territory within range of powerful, precision munitions.
This is an important issue for the administration of President Joe Biden. If JASSMs are provided to Kyiv, but the United States limits the radius of the missiles' authorized use, the effect of these weapons will be limited, said a congressional staffer working on the issue.
Military analysts have suggested that the use of JASSMs, which are stealthy and can strike farther than most other missiles in Ukraine's current arsenal, could push Russian beachheads and supply depots hundreds of kilometers away. This could hamper Russia's ability to sustain offensive operations. Launching missiles from sites near Ukraine's northern border with Russia could allow them to hit military targets as far away as the Russian cities of Voronezh and Bryansk. And in the south, dropping them close to the front line could make it possible to hit airfields or naval facilities in Crimea.
JASSM missiles would be able to hit targets about 300 kilometers away in Russia, which would mean at least 30 air bases from which to launch attacks on Ukraine. So far, however, JASSM has only been installed on US-made aircraft. Ukraine will have several dozen of these F-16s, each capable of carrying two cruise missiles.
Author: Inna Mikhno