ISW analysts estimate that Russia has at least 250 military and paramilitary facilities within range of the ATACMS missiles that the US has provided to Ukraine.
Points of attention
- Lifting restrictions on the use of Western weapons would allow Ukraine to attack a wider range of important facilities that support the Russian military machine.
- American restrictions on the use of ATACMS reduce Ukraine's ability to hit important military facilities in the rear of the Russian Federation.
- Lifting the restrictions could complicate the negotiation process between the US and the Russian Federation and nullify efforts to restart relations.
The ability to hit objects in the rear of the Russian Federation is of crucial importance for Ukraine
As analysts note, Ukrainian strikes on military facilities deep in Russia's territory are critical for weakening its military potential on the entire front.
Lifting restrictions on the use of Western weapons would allow Ukraine to attack a wider range of important facilities that support the Russian military machine.
ISW analysts estimate that Russia has at least 250 military and paramilitary facilities within range of ATACMS missiles transferred by the US to Ukraine.
However, currently American restrictions allow Ukrainian forces to use ATACMS only for strikes on 20 of these objects. The remaining 230 objects, including bases, warehouses and logistics centers, remain out of reach.
Russian forces have moved 90 percent of the aircraft bombing Ukraine from Russian airspace to airfields within range of Storm Shadow and ATACMS missiles. The ISW confirmed the redeployment of Russian aircraft to airfields outside the range of long-range weapons provided by the West.
Any assessment that says there is no point in allowing Ukraine to strike targets in Russia based solely on the redeployment of air assets would be incomplete without considering the hundreds of other facilities that support Russia's war against Ukraine. And, therefore, it will be incorrect, - stated in ISW.
In the USA, the reason for Ukraine's refusal to allow the use of ATACMS for strikes against the Russian Federation was named
According to Politico journalists, the administration of US President Joe Biden does not plan to grant Ukraine permission to use long-range American weapons for strikes on the territory of Russia, because in the future Washington expects to restart relations with the Kremlin.
In addition, the Biden administration maintains the conviction that the United States should not risk its own national security for the sake of Ukraine.
Officials in certain quarters of the administration have told Ukrainians that the U.S. will eventually want to reset relations with Moscow, and lifting the restrictions could derail those efforts.
