Pentagon has quietly barred Ukrainian long-range strikes in Russia with US missiles, WSJ reports
The U.S. has quietly implemented a review process giving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authority to bar Ukrainian long-range strikes inside Russia with American missiles, effectively blocking strikes for months, the Wall Street Journal reported on Aug. 23.
The unannounced high-level Defense Department approval process has prevented the use of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) against targets inside Russia since the late spring, an unnamed official said.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 21 said that Ukraine had "no chance of winning" if not permitted to attack Russia and criticized former U.S. President Joe Biden for not letting Kyiv "fight back, only defend."
Despite this, Trump has previously said he disagreed "very vehemently" with the previous White House administration's decision to permit Ukrainian long-range strikes against Russia with U.S. weapons.
The review mechanism was developed by the Pentagon’s policy undersecretary, Elbridge Colby, and oversees Ukraine's use of American-made weapons and European weapons, which rely on U.S. intelligence and components, WSJ reported.
In addition to the review process for missile strikes, a rating system has been reportedly implemented to assess whether the U.S. has enough stock of a particular weapon. Red, yellow, and green categories were introduced by Colby to help decide what weapons may be supplied to Ukraine.
The new review process applies to the British long-range Storm Shadow missiles due to its reliance on U.S. targetting data, a British offical and two U.S. officials said.
On at least one occasion, Ukraine has planned to use ATACMS against a target within Russian territory but was denied approval, two U.S. officials said.
Ukraine last received a shipment of ATACMS authorized by the former White House administration in the spring, unnamed U.S. officials told WSJ.
Despite Trump's recent remarks that Ukraine can not win the war against Russia without fighting back, U.S. officials have said Trump's statement does not signal a policy change. Trump may change his mind and permit expanded offensive operations against Russia, one senior White House official told WSJ.
Kyiv has proposed buying U.S. weapons worth $90 billion as part of security guarantees, as Ukraine and its allies aim to maintain interest from the White House.
The proposal aims to secure U.S. security guarantees and cement Washington's long-term commitment to Ukraine by tying Kyiv's defense needs to a boost for American industry.
The plan would reportedly be financed by Ukraine's European allies, which would fund the purchase of U.S. weapons.
Ukraine first received shorter-range versions of ATACMS in the fall of 2023. In the spring of 2024, the U.S. began supplying upgraded models with a range of up to 300 kilometers. At the time, Kyiv was only permitted to deploy these missiles against targets in occupied Ukrainian territory.
