America has recently given Ukraine permission to use ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missiles. This is considered an important step against Russia. The range of these missiles is about 300 kilometers and they are like the Storm Shadow missiles of France and Britain.
Previously, Western allies had prohibited Ukraine from using these missiles to prevent them from attacking Russia, but now President Joe Biden has changed this policy, allowing Ukraine to hit targets inside Russia. . Russia has given a serious warning on this, saying that if Ukraine uses these missiles in Russia, it will be given a “appropriate and concrete” response. Russia also said that this would be a signal for America and its allies to get directly involved in the war.
Russia’s reaction and North Korea’s indirect entry into the war
Russian President Vladimir Putin has not yet reacted to Biden’s decision, but his spokesperson said that America is escalating the war. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated that ATACMS would soon be used by Ukrainian forces, but refrained from making an official announcement. At the same time, the leaders of France and Britain have also supported this step of Biden, while UK and France can also consider the situation of using their Storm Shadow missiles. After the American decision, it is expected that France and Britain may also allow Ukraine to target its targets inside Russia.
Meanwhile, according to reports, Russia is deploying more than 10,000 troops from North Korea in the western Kursk region and possibly Russia may get the help of more troops and weapons. Due to this, concern is being expressed about the increasing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea. It is being said that North Korea can provide war material and military assistance to Russia. In such a situation, rust can become even more complicated.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has also called on global leaders to take steps towards a political solution to this conflict. He said a political solution was needed to defuse the Ukraine crisis, although China has repeatedly denied that it is supplying arms to Russia.
What is ATACMS Missile System?
The Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is a surface-to-surface ballistic missile that can hit targets up to 300 km (186 mi). This missile has been made by defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin. It can be launched from the tracked M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) or the wheeled M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). Each missile costs approximately $1.5 million (1.2 million pounds).
ATACMS are powered by solid rocket launchers and take off into the sky on a ballistic path and then fall at high speed, making them difficult to intercept. These missiles can be configured with two types of warheads. The first type is the cluster warhead, which consists of hundreds of warheads. These may include parked aircraft, air defense systems and groups of troops.
The second type is a single warhead. This is a 225 kg high range explosive and its purpose is to destroy large targets. ATACMS have been around for decades and were first used in the 1991 Gulf War. The US Army is replacing it with the next generation Precision Strike Missile.
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