The Institute for the Study of War, based in the US, has released a map showing Russian military bases that Ukraine could use ATACMS missiles to attack if allowed by the US.
According to Newsweek, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US think tank, released an assessment on June 22 showing that Ukraine could target 16% of Russian military ground shelters if allowed to use ATACMS missiles within a certain range.
In October 2023, Kiev used ATACMS missiles for the first time to attack two Russian military bases in Ukraine, damaging several helicopters. The Ukrainian military has also used the missiles against Russian targets in disputed territories, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
In April, US national security advisor Jake Sullivan said that President Joe Biden had approved sending a large number of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine as part of a $300 million aid package. The US said Ukraine could use this weapon to attack Russian targets in certain territories, but Washington also placed limits on long-range attacks across the border.
ISW’s map shows that Ukraine could attack Russian targets in areas such as Bryansk, Kursk and Belgorod, threatening a maximum of 16% of Russia’s safe ground area. However, it is unclear whether Ukrainian forces will be allowed to do so.
“The West has the ability to significantly disrupt Russian operations by allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons to strike behind Russian lines and deep inside Russian territory,” the ISW report said.
In addition, ISW also said that US policy is helping Russia maintain at least 84% of safe areas on the ground by not allowing Ukraine to attack certain targets with ATACMS missiles, such as the Voronezh region. and Rostov.
According to ISW, the Russian air defense system will reduce the effectiveness of F-16 fighters if the US does not allow Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles to destroy Russian air defense systems in Russian territory because that means Ukrainian F-16 pilots will have to operate in dangerous airspace.
Four countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Belgium, have committed to providing F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine to strengthen efforts to counter Russia’s advanced fighter jets.