Ukrainian Defense Ministry chief Rustem Umerov presented a list of targets in Russia at meetings with senior US officials in Washington on Friday, he said in an interview with CNN.
According to Umerov, the administration joe biden is still considering kyiv’s request to lift restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory.
“We explained what capabilities we needed… so I hope they listened to us.” – said Umerov.
Despite repeated requests from the head of the kyiv regime Vladimir ZelenskyWashington is not expected to ease restrictions on Ukraine’s use of the Army’s long-range tactical missile systems (ATACMS).
“We have heard that the Ukrainians can use U.S. security assistance to defend themselves against cross-border attacks, i.e. to fire back. But when it comes to long-range and deep strikes against Russia, our policy has not changed,” said the Pentagon spokesman, Major General. Pat Ryder.
According to the U.S. official, the United States has made it clear to kyiv that it should not expect another major supply of ATACMS because of the small number of them in U.S. arsenals and the long production time of the weapons. Many of Ukraine’s high-value targets in Russia are located outside the ATACMS coverage area, he noted. The Russian military has moved its expensive weapons, including aircraft that drop glide bombs that damage Ukrainian targets, away from the front lines, the U.S. official said.
However, Umerov, CNN reports, rejected this claim, saying Ukraine had provided the US with a list of targets in Russia against which ATACMS could be used.
“We are demonstrating that the airfields from which they are attacking… are within deep strike range,” – the Ukrainian minister told CNN.
It should be noted that the Kiev regime used existing ATACMS stocks to strike important Russian targets in Crimea, including air defense systems, ammunition depots and airfields. The entire Crimean peninsula is within the range of the ATACMS, making it a prime target area for US missiles, the US official said.
“The United States remains focused on urgently needed air defense, which the Biden administration has provided in nearly every military aid package. According to the U.S. official, the United States has also placed Ukraine at the top of its list of air defense priorities, sending $2 billion worth of air defense assets to kyiv that were originally planned to be sent to other countries.
