United States – The United States of America, during the past few days, covertly sent to Ukraine the long-range missiles that Ukrainian troops used to resist the Russian invaders, and Ukraine has now used those twice, an American official commented on Wednesday.
Covert Missile Delivery to Ukrainian Forces
The missiles from the $300 million military aid package US President Joe Biden approved on March 12 were contained. The anonymity constraint of the US official speaking under the condition of anonymity is my discretion. The diplomat did not give official figures, but a source says a dozen missiles were launched, as reported by Reuters.
The missiles hit the Russian airfield in Crimea, which was about 165 km (103 miles) from the Ukrainian front lines at about early hours on April 17, according to the official statement.
The official said that Ukraine was applying the device in the second last night on Russian forces in south-eastern Ukraine.
Debate Within Biden Administration
Whether to basically support sending Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) with a distance coverage of up to 300 km was an issue that had been debated within the Biden administration for a long time. Forty mid-range ATACMS were delivered in September.
At first, the Pentagon opposed long-range missile deployment because missing missiles from the stockpile could affect the readiness of the American military. Moreover, the evidence of missile deliveries gave rise to suspicions that Ukraine intended to launch strikes against Russian targets deep within the country.
Russia launching North Korean supplied long-range ballistic missiles against Ukraine in December and January directed at the United States, which added to the US warnings for Russia not to do it and resulted in its change in heart, the US official stated.
Russian Cyberattacks and Escalating Tensions
A crucial factor concerning US deliberation has been Russian cyberattacks against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, as the official claimed.
“We warned Russia about those things,” the official said. “They renewed their targeting.”
By the end of January, the President received the answer he needed for military readiness. They later started receiving new missiles produced on the Lockheed-Martin (LMT.N) production line.
Biden assembled his security team on mid-February and after accepting their unanimous advice, decided to send missiles to Ukraine. Participants in the discussion included Jake Sullivan, National Security Adviser, Lloyd Austin the Defense Secretary, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and C.Q. Brown, the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The question that then remained was how to raise the necessary budget for the missiles. The United States ran out of other options: it could have borrowed more money, or programs could have been approved.
Biden Administration’s Strategic Decision
In March, a chance happened when several Pentagon contracts were snatched from the previous supplier’s hands. As a result, Biden had the power to send direct assistance of $300 million to Ukraine, as reported by Reuters.
The official added that Biden directed his aides to include ATACMS in their budgeting package and bury this move under the rug to preserve the element of surprise and operational secrecy for Ukraine.