John Hamilton/U.S. Army
In this handout photo from the U.S. Army, an early version of the Army Tactical Missile System is tested at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico on Dec. 14, 2021.
CNN
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The Pentagon announced Wednesday that the United States, at the direction of President Joe Biden, delivered long-range missiles to Ukraine earlier this month that the Biden administration had previously refused to send.
In February, Biden secretly approved the transfer of long-range ATACMS missiles for use inside Ukrainian territory. The ATACMS missiles were then quietly included in a $300 million aid package announced on March 12 and ultimately delivered to Ukraine earlier this month, according to Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Garon Garn.
“There has been no announcement at this time that we are providing this new capability to Ukraine in response to Ukraine's request to maintain Ukraine's operational security,” Gahan said. Questions regarding its use were deferred to the Ukrainian military.
The Biden administration had resisted launching long-range missiles, in part due to readiness concerns. Building powerful missiles takes time and complex parts. Lockheed Martin, which manufactures ATACMS missiles, is at full capacity producing about 500 missiles a year, a company spokesperson said in September.
The United States worked behind the scenes to address readiness concerns, including purchasing additional ATACMS missiles and expanding the U.S. military stockpile.
02:30 – Source: CNN
Time-lapse view of Ukraine's fragile front lines awaiting U.S. aid
“As a result, we were able to move forward with the delivery of this ATACMS while maintaining the force's current readiness,” said Maj. Charlie Dietz, a Pentagon spokesman.
Biden also directed his team to take this step in response to Russia's procurement and use of North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine and Russia's attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, according to U.S. officials.
“We warned Russia not to acquire North Korean ballistic missiles and not to resume attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine,” Dietz said. “With readiness concerns resolved, we were able to follow the alert and provide this long-range capability to Ukraine.”
A new military aid package announced by the Pentagon on Wednesday includes more, after Biden signed an aid package providing nearly $61 billion in aid to Ukraine after months of delays in Congress. The missiles are expected to be included.
Last fall, the United States sent to Ukraine for the first time an intermediate-range version of the ATACMS missile system, which has a range of about 100 miles and a long-range version that can reach up to 190 miles.
Ukrainian officials have privately and publicly urged the United States to target long-range missiles deeper into Russian lines. U.S. officials have resisted the move, citing supply issues and concerns that it would further provoke Russia if deployed.
This story has been updated with additional details.