2024-09-17 17:38:11
Decision from the West expected
These weapons are making Putin nervous now
Updated on 13.09.2024Reading time: 4 min.
The West could soon allow Ukraine to use its weapons to target targets in Russia. Putin is threatening and sees this as NATO entering the war. Which weapons are he worried about?
A decision is looming in the Ukraine war that could have a significant impact on the further course of hostilities. On Wednesday, the US and UK foreign ministers, Antony Blinken and David Lammy, traveled to Kiev. They may have brought with them the authorization for the use of Western long-range weapons against targets in Russia. US President Joe Biden had stated before his foreign minister’s visit that the lifting of the current restrictions was being examined. “We are working on it,” said Biden.
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According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the release means that NATO is “at war” with Russia. “This would change the nature of the conflict to a considerable extent,” Putin told a state television reporter on Thursday. t-online presents the weapons that are making Putin so nervous.
The ATACMS, whose full name is “MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System”, is a short-range artillery missile. It is fired from Himars, a multiple rocket launcher system.
In the fall of 2023, the US delivered an older model of the ATACMS missile with a range of about 165 kilometers to Ukraine. In the spring of 2024, the New York Times reported that the US had delivered about 100 modernized versions of the missiles, which can reach a range of up to 300 kilometers.
The long-range missiles could help Ukraine attack Russian targets far behind the front line. It has already used the missiles successfully, particularly to hit targets in occupied Crimea, including Russian air bases, military ferry routes and the Crimean Bridge. But so far they have not been allowed to be used against targets on Russian territory.
Storm Shadow/Scalp
The Storm Shadow cruise missile is considered a long-range missile, although it only has a range of 250 kilometers. It has a nominal range of more than 500 kilometers, but a shorter-range version has been developed for export to non-NATO countries.
Nevertheless, the missile is one of the most effective and precise weapons in the NATO arsenal. It was originally developed by Great Britain, Italy and France (the French version was called Scalp) and first arrived in Ukraine in May 2023.
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The Storm Shadow missile offers a wide range of uses and is designed to penetrate deep into enemy territory and destroy targets with precision. The warhead weighs 450 kilograms and has a far greater striking power than Ukraine’s attack drones.
The cruise missiles can also be used to attack bunkers. “Storm Shadows” were responsible for some of the most devastating attacks on occupied Crimea. The Ukrainian stocks of cruise missiles are now likely to have been largely used up.
One of the most spectacular attacks was captured on video in September last year, when Ukraine hit the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet with at least three of these missiles, reportedly killing more than 30 officers. Read more about the “Storm Shadow” cruise missiles here.
Ukraine does not currently possess any Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), but recent reports suggest that the United States may deliver some in the coming weeks.
The cruise missile weighs around one ton and has a 450 kilogram warhead. With a range of around 370 kilometers, Ukraine could also reach targets on the Crimean peninsula, where hundreds of Russian military bases, airfields, air defense systems and logistics centers are located.
The new cruise missile also enables attacks deep behind the front lines in the partially occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. In addition, Russian military airports and aircraft up to 200 kilometers behind the border could be destroyed.