The long-range missiles Ukraine could soon be firing deep into Russia

The U.S. and U.K. may be on the verge of what could be a hugely significant move regarding the war in Ukraine, with reports suggesting both countries might soon allow Kyiv to use their long-range weapons to strike targets deep in Russian territory.

U.S. President Joe Biden is finalizing the details of a plan to lift some restrictions, Politico reported on Sept. 11, citing unnamed officials familiar with the discussions.

According to the Guardian, the U.K. has already privately decided to allow Ukraine to use its British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for long-range strikes deep into Russia, though no public announcement has been made.

Kyiv has long argued for the restrictions to be lifted so it can strike military targets such as airfields located deep inside Russian territory. With the bans in place, Kyiv says it cannot effectively defend Ukrainian cities from intensifying aerial attacks.

To date, Washington has consistently said that allowing Ukraine to hit deep into Russian territory with U.S. weapons could escalate conflict with Russia.

If the restrictions are lifted, here are the two missiles that could be put to work immediately, as well as two that can't.

ATACMS

ATACMS, whose full name is ​​MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System, is a short-range supersonic tactical ballistic missile.

They're fired from HIMARS, a multiple rocket launcher system mounted to a 6x6 FMTV truck chassis, providing devastating firepower launched from a highly mobile platform.

HIMARS, whose prowess became a popular motif of internet memes, was a game-changer for Ukraine when they first arrived in the summer of 2022.

Initially supplied with GMLRS rockets with a range of around 70 kilometers, they allowed Ukraine to target Russian forces on the other side of the front line far more accurately than they had previously.

In the fall of 2023, the U.S. began supplying Kyiv with an older model of ATACMS with a range of around 165 kilometers, greatly increasing the range that Ukraine could strike within.

In the spring of 2024, the New York Times reported that the U.S. had shipped around 100 updated versions of ATACMS missiles, which can reach up to 300 kilometers.

Ukraine has put them to good use, particularly to strike targets in occupied Crimea, with Russian airfields, military ferry crossings, and the Crimean Bridge coming under repeated attack.

Their use inside Russian territory, even if Western partners were to grant Ukraine permission, may have already been blunted. Russia has reportedly transferred 90% of its military aircraft to bases outside the reach of long-range ATACMS, a United States official told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in remarks published Aug. 27.

Storm Shadow/SCALP

Storm Shadows are long-range, air-launched cruise missiles jointly developed by the U.K. and France (the French versions are called SCALP), and first began arriving in Ukraine in May 2023.

The missile has a range of around 550 kilometers but the export versions supplied to Ukraine have been limited to 300 kilometers.

Its 450-kilogram warhead packs a far bigger punch than that of Ukraine's attack drones. Storm Shadows have been responsible for some of the most devastating strikes on Russian-occupied Crimea.

One of the most spectacular was caught on video in September of last year, when Ukraine struck the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet with at least three of the missiles, reportedly killing more than 30 officers.

The ships of the Black Sea Fleet have also fallen victim to Storm Shadows. In December, the landing ship Novocherkassk, docked at Feodosia, was reduced to a burning wreck using the missiles, Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said.

JASSM

Ukraine does not currently possess Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM), but recent reports suggest the U.S. could be sending some in the coming weeks.

Politico reported on Aug. 15, citing undisclosed sources, that President Joe Biden's administration is "open" to supplying Kyiv with the long-range cruise missiles to bolster the recently provided F-16 fighter jets.

The missile can be launched over 200 miles (nearly 322 kilometers) from fourth-generation F-16s and would significantly boost the combat capabilities of the aircraft, as they are not expected to fly close to the border with Russia due to the risk of being shot down.

Taurus

While the U.S. and the U.K. are now at least open to discussing the possibility of allowing Ukraine to use Storm Shadows and ATACMS to strike deep inside Russian territory, the same can't be said for Germany and its Taurus missiles.

Taurus is a joint German-Swedish-made cruise missile with a range of over 500 kilometers, which would allow Kyiv to hit targets even deeper inside Russia.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has consistently been against sending long-range missiles to Ukraine, even for strikes on Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine.

According to reports in May, Scholz fears that this would risk Berlin getting involved in the war.

Scholz has come under pressure from European allies to change his mind In late May, then-U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps urged Berlin and other allies who have the ability to send long-range missiles to do so and to allow Kyiv to use them against Russian-occupied Crimea, “which is part of Ukraine,” he said.

Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 in the wake of the EuroMaidan Revolution in Ukraine. It has occupied the peninsula since.

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