Published: · Region: Eastern Europe · Category: conflict

U.S. Greenlights ATACMS and Cluster Munitions Transfer, Raising New Pressure on Russian Front Lines

Ukraine is set to receive 70 M39 ATACMS, 12 M270 launchers and thousands of cluster munitions via a Turkish purchase approved by Washington, according to U.S. notices to Congress. The package deepens the long-range threat to Russian logistics and bases while re-opening fraught debates over cluster weapons and escalation inside NATO and beyond.

Ukraine’s ability to hit Russian forces far behind the front is poised to grow after the United States approved the re-export of a significant package of U.S.-origin weapons from Turkey, including long-range ATACMS missiles and large stocks of cluster munitions. The move, disclosed in State Department notifications entered into the Congressional Record and described by multiple outlets on 8 August, adds a new layer of pressure on Russian logistics and command centers already under steady Ukrainian attack. According to the notifications, Ukraine has purchased 70 M39 ATACMS ballistic missiles with a range of about 165 kilometers, 12 M270 multiple launch rocket systems, 2,524 M26 rockets equipped with DPICM cluster warheads,…

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