Commander: Ukraine 'waiting for' missiles with 300-500 km range from allies
Ukraine expects to receive F-16 fighter jets and missiles with a range between 300 and 500 kilometers "in further military aid packages" from its allies, Joint Forces Commander Serhii Naiev said on Feb. 5.
Naiev did not provide more details on the missiles or specify whether they would come together with F-16 jets or separately.
Ukraine's military has been using the U.S.-provided ATACMS and Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles delivered by the U.K. and France to strike Russian military sites and equipment deep behind the front lines.
The variant of ATACMS delivered to Ukraine can hit targets around 150 kilometers away, while Storm Shadow/SCALP has a range of up to 250 kilometers.
Kyiv has also asked for German-made Taurus missiles, which have a range of up to 500 kilometers, but Berlin has so far refused to send them.
According to Naiev, F-16 jets and the long-range missiles "will allow Ukraine's Defense Forces to achieve even greater success on the battlefield and liberate our territory from the enemy."
Following the 18th Ramstein summit on Jan. 23, the Defense Ministry said that allies had committed to supply Ukraine with additional long-range striking capabilities, among other things.
The Netherlands has increased the number of U.S.-made F-16 aircraft it pledged to Ukraine to 24, Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren announced on Feb. 5.
