The bunker-busting ATACMS can reach targets “anywhere” within Russian-occupied Ukraine – potentially turning the tides of war in Kyiv’s favour, defence experts told The Sun.

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For the first time last week, Ukraine used the £800,000 ATACMS in two blistering attacks on a military base in Crimea and on Russian forces in occupied Ukraine.

Washington only announced yesterday that it had secretly shipped ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) to Ukraine as part of a former aid package that arrived last month.

The tactical surface-to-surface ballistic missiles are fitted with 500lb warheads and can reach targets 190miles away in just five minutes, three times the speed of UK-supplied Storm Shadows.

The 2,300mph killer missiles give Ukraine nearly double the striking distance it had with the mid-range version of the weapon it received from the US last October. 

Now every square meter of Russian-occupied Ukraine is within range of ATACMS

US General Ben Hodges

In the overnight ambush last week, Kyiv’s forces used its new missiles to hit both a Russian military base in annexed Crimea and Russian forces in occupied Ukraine.

Dramatic footage showed blinding explosions lit up the night sky as the high-tech weapons destroyed a valuable ammunition store at the airfield.

The Dzhankoi air base is used by Putin’s twisted forces to launch strikes on Ukraine and is home to prized attack choppers and missile systems.

Missile alerts were only sounded after the first strike, suggesting the Russians were taken by surprise by the ATACMS missile attack.

Former US General Ben Hodges said ATACMS will now play a “critical role” in the war by “neutralising Russia’s only advantage – mass, [being] lots of soldiers”.

The former commander of the US Army in Europe told The Sun: “Now every square meter of Russian-occupied Ukraine is within range of ATACMS…which means that every HQ, logistics site, key weapon system and airfield in that area can be hit.”

Russian forces are likely to be deeply fearful of the arrival of ATACMS to Ukraine, he said, as soon as they start destroying its supply lines and bases.

He said: “The destruction of logistics will dramatically reduce the artillery ammunition needed to support the meat-grinder attacks by this poorly-trained Russian massed infantry.

“That will make it much more difficult for them to attempt future massed attacks on Ukrainian positions.”

Professor Anthony Glees, a defence expert from the University of Birmingham, called ATACMS “game-changing weapons”.

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He told The Sun:  “We need to know how many of them are being supplied, but they change the picture both in a battlefield sense and a strategic sense.”

He expects Russian troops on the ground to now be quaking in their boots at the thought of arguably the US’ most powerful weapon.

“I think they’ll be very frightened indeed… because they have so far felt safe as long as they’re far enough away from the missiles that Ukraine has got.

“Now they are no longer safe.”

WHY NOW?

Ukraine had long sought to get its hands on some ATACMS – but the US held off supply them over fears they may be used for strikes on Russian soil, escalating tensions further between Washington and Moscow.

Prof Glees argued: “The reason the US has done this is, first of all, because Putin continues to rain drones and missiles down on Ukraine at will.

“Secondly, that he started using North Korean ballistic missiles, which represents in the eyes of the White House a serious escalation of what’s going on.”

A Pentagon official confirmed this, stating that the Russia’s use of the North Korean-supplied lethal missiles in December and January against Ukraine led to a change in heart.

He added that the US had privately warned Russia not to use them.

And yet, Glees said that the decision “has come very late in the day, and perhaps too late.”

General Hodges agreed, saying he disapproved of the reactiveness rather than proactiveness of the decision to supply Ukraine with ATACMS.

“I think this is an unfortunate approach…always in reaction to what happens on the Russian side versus the US Administration committing to helping Ukraine win and us seizing the initiative,” he said.

BATTLE FOR CRIMEA

General Hodges – who has long argued that if Crimea falls, so could Putin – stated that ATACMS could be “significant” in helping to liberate the annexed peninsula.

Ukraine has been penetrating Crimea almost consistently, expanding is sabotage operations, striking with Storm Shadow missiles and its own evolving longer-range warheads to hit deep targets deep inside and serve up Putin repeated humiliations.

But with the ATACMS in its arsenal, Kyiv’s chances of carrying out successful strikes just got a whole lot better.

Hodges said: “Crimea can soon be untenable for the Russian navy and air force.”

SECRETS OUT

In a shock announcement, US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said yesterday: “I can confirm that the United States provided Ukraine with long-range ATACMS at the president’s direct direction.”

But “we did not announce this at the onset in order to maintain operational security for Ukraine at their request,” Patel said, adding that the “missiles arrived in Ukraine this month.”

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the United States plans to send more of the long-range missiles to Ukraine.

“They will make a difference. But as I’ve said before at this podium… there is no silver bullet,” Sullivan said.

The confirmation of ATACMS being used by Ukraine came the same day that President Joe Biden signed the bill to provide Ukraine with a £50billion war chest.

The announcement brought relief along Ukraine‘s 600-mile front after Kyiv had to painfully ration its weapons, leaving its forces vulnerable to deadly Russian attacks.

After six-months of stalling in Congress, Biden cleared the way for desperately needed artillery, missiles and air defense munitions to head for Kyiv.

Sullivan revealed that more ATACMS missiles were part of this package.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky hailed it as a historic decision “that keeps history on the right track” against “Russian evil”.

In “just days”, according to US officials, the fresh weapons could reach Ukraine’s frontline and experts say it could be just in time to blunt Russia‘s expected new offensive.

With near impunity, Moscow has exploited that delay – pounding Ukraine’s cities and critical infrastructure and exhausting its air defence arsenal.

Russian troops are trying to press home their advantage before new weapons shipments arrive, advancing three miles in ten days in the Donetsk region.

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