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Ukraine wants a long-range American missile. The U.S. is holding it back.


Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Pentagon officials have sent the Ukrainian military a flurry of equipment worth billions of dollars. But one powerful weapon, known as the Army Tactical Missile System, has become part of the debate about the limits of US support for its allies.

Long-range missile – known as ATACMS and is pronounced like “attack ’ems” – can hit a target 190 miles away with a warhead containing about 375 pounds of explosives. It can be fired from HIMARS mobile launchers that the US has supplied to Ukraine, as well as from older M270 launchers sent from the UK and Germany.

Ukrainian officials say the missile could help them retake Crimea, part of the country that Russia seized in 2014. But Pentagon officials insist they have supplied Ukraine with weapons that the country does not. This is most needed: Various guided missile systems or GMLRS.

ATACMS is a sensitive issue because the White House is concerned that Ukraine could use it to attack targets deep inside Russia and that President Vladimir Putin could respond by escalating the war, possibly by invade a neighboring NATO country. Ukraine insists it has no plans to attack Russian cities or target civilians.

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