Last week, the United States secretly delivered new long-range missiles to Ukraine, according to a report by The New York Times. These missiles, part of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), were used by the Ukrainian army in attacks on their Russian opponents earlier in the week.
The previous missiles provided to Ukraine had a range of about 160 kilometers, but the new missiles have a range of 300 kilometers. This allows the Ukrainians to target areas further into occupied territory, including Crimea, where Russian troops and supplies are present.
US President Joe Biden approved the delivery of over 100 of these longer-range missiles in mid-February, as reported by an anonymous source to The New York Times. The delivery was kept secret to prevent the Russian army from preparing for attacks from greater distances.
The Ukrainian army used the new missiles for the first time in an attack on Russian troops in Berdiansk on Tuesday. They were used again on Wednesday in an attack on a military airport in Dzhankoi, Crimea. Social media images showed ammunition supplies still on fire hours after the attack, indicating successful hits.