Ukraine, US towards sending long-range missiles to strike Russia –

The last taboo in the war in Ukraine could soon fall. The United States is close to a deal to supply Kiev with long-range cruise missiles, weapons that could reach deep into Russia. Although Ukraine will have to wait several months for Washington to resolve technical issues and send the supplies, US officials told Reuters. The supply, called Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (Jassm), could therefore end up in a new military aid package that the US is expected to announce this fall, three sources said on condition of anonymity.

However, the sources said, no final decision has been made. Sending Jassm to Ukraine could significantly alter the strategic landscape of the conflict, putting a larger swath of Russian territory in the crosshairs of powerful precision weapons, a scenario that worries Joe Biden’s administration, officials said. Military analysts have suggested that introducing the long-range missiles, which can strike farther than most other missiles in Ukraine’s current arsenal, could push Russian staging areas and supply depots back hundreds of kilometers. That would complicate Russia’s ability to sustain its offensive operations and potentially give Ukraine a strategic advantage. Launching them from points close to Ukraine’s northern border with Russia could allow them to hit military installations as far away as the Russian cities of Voronezh and Bryansk. To the south, it could allow strikes on airfields or naval facilities in Crimea. All ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.