In recent weeks the US has sent top secret long-range ATACMS missiles in Ukraine and were already used a few days ago, a US official confirmed today Wednesday.

The missiles were included in a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine that US President Joe Biden approved on March 12, the same official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. He did not specify the number of missiles delivered.

Missiles of this type were first used in the early hours of April 17 in a Ukrainian attack on a Russian military airfield on the Crimean peninsula, the US official said.

The ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) Missile Mission – with a range of up to 300 km – in Ukraine has been the subject of discussion in President Biden’s staff for months. Medium-range ATACMS missiles were delivered to Ukraine last September.

The Pentagon initially objected in granting long-range missiles to Ukraine, believing that they are irreplaceable and would degrade US military readiness. At the same time, there were concerns that Ukraine would use them to hit targets on Russian soil, far from the border.

A determining factor in the decision of the White House – according to the same official – was that Russian forces used in Ukraine long-range ballistic missiles procured from North Korea, defying US warnings. Continued Russian strikes against Ukrainian critical infrastructure were also factored in. “We had warned Russia about these issues,” the US official said.

In late January, the Pentagon’s concern about replenishment of long-range missiles to be delivered to Ukraine was eased, with the acquisition of new ones from the Lockheed-Martin industry.

President Biden agreed in mid-February to send long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine, following a meeting that included Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

The thorn at the time was that funding options had been exhausted with gridlock in Congress preventing further aid for Ukraine from being approved. The golden ratio was finally found in March, with President Biden calling for long-range ATACMS missiles to be sent to Ukraine in top secrecy, both for security reasons and to maintain the element of surprise, the same official explained.

American aid will keep Ukraine “in” the war. Victory is a different matter, comments the Associated Press.