Joe Biden has permitted Ukraine to use US-made Atacms ballistic missiles against Russian and North Korean forces inside Russian territory.
Officials in Washington told reporters the weapons could be used in the region of Kursk, where Kyiv has launched an incursion, but that the US president may agree to their deployment elsewhere before Donald Trump comes to power.
The first strikes using Atacms rockets could come within days. But what are they and why are they important for Ukraine?
What are their capabilities?
The missile system is known as Army Tactical Missile System, or Atacms (pronounced “attack ’ems”). It was developed during the cold war to destroy Soviet targets and Kyiv has been using them already, but only on targets in occupied areas of Ukraine.
Made by Lockheed Martin, the missiles can strike targets up to 190 miles (300km) away. Ballistic missiles fly much higher in the atmosphere than most rockets and can evade anti-air defences as they hit the ground at huge speeds.
Atacms are considered long-range, although they do not have the range of a cruise or intercontinental ballistic missile.
Why has the Biden administration changed position?
Kyiv has been lobbying Washington to get the green light to use Atacms against targets in Russia and Biden is now under more pressure. President-elect Trump has said he will seek a quick end to the war in Ukraine, leading to concern by Kyiv and its global backers that Moscow will make serious battlefield advances.
Biden had previously refused to allow strikes inside Russia with Atacms because it was feared they would escalate the war, something the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has promised will happen. “We’re trying to avoid world war three,” Biden has said.
However, the decision is now being justified as a response to the presence of North Korean troops fighting alongside Russian forces. Last month, Pyongyang sent an estimated 10,000 troops to Russia to participate in the Ukraine war. There are concerns that tens of thousands more could be sent.
What impact will they have on the battlefield?
Ukraine will now be able to strike targets inside Kursk with the missiles, where Kyiv holds more than 1,000 sq km of territory. The Atacms could target Russian weapons and ammunition depots, supply lines, and military bases, which would give relief to Ukrainian troops on the frontlines.
With Trump’s inauguration in January, the move could be a way to strengthen Ukraine’s hand militarily before it is forced into peace talks. It may also have a psychological impact, raising morale in Ukraine during a tough period.
What is the state of the war?
Moscow is expected to launch a major offensive soon to retake Kursk, especially with the support of North Korean forces.
Atacms, however, are not seen as a magic bullet and Russian forces have already been gaining ground in the country’s east. Ukraine’s big problem is that it is in dire need of troops, as Kyiv is struggling to mobilise more people to join the war.
What about Storm Shadow and other weaponry?
Biden has gradually allowed Kyiv to use more advanced and longer-range weaponry. Early in the war, he signed off the use by Kyiv of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or Himars, which can hit targets up to 50 miles (80km) away.
There has been speculation over the past two months that Ukraine may have been given similar authorisation to use western-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, which have comparable capabilities to Atacms, on Russian forces inside Russia.
The Franco-British long-range missiles rely on a US guidance system, so Washington needs to agree on how they are used. It is possible Biden’s decision on Atacms will now embolden his European allies to give Kyiv more leeway on how Storm Shadow (known in France as Scalp) is deployed.
The missiles are powerful enough to penetrate bunkers and damage airfields, and can be precisely targeted.
