US approves sale of ERAM missiles to Ukraine, WSJ reports
Washington approved the sale of Extended-Range Attack Munition (ERAM) missiles to Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Aug. 23, citing two unnamed U.S. officials.
The missile has a range of about 241-450 kilometers (150-280 miles) and is meant to be a quick-to-produce and low-cost weapon. The U.S. approved the sale of 3,550 ERAM missiles to Ukraine, which are set to arrive in approximately six weeks, two U.S. officials told WSJ.
The European-funded arms package valued at $850 million was postponed until after U.S. President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15 and President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House days later.
Meanwhile, Kyiv has proposed buying U.S. weapons worth $90 billion as part of security guarantees as Trump intensifies efforts to broker a peace deal to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
As Ukraine pushes for more advanced weaponry, questions have emerged about how and where these systems can be used. The use of Extended Range Active Missiles (ERAM), for instance, requires U.S. approval—particularly for strikes inside Russian territory.
To manage this, the U.S. has quietly put in place a review mechanism that grants Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authority to block long-range Ukrainian strikes inside Russia using American-supplied missiles. This policy has effectively restricted such operations for months, the Wall Street Journal reported.
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, according to the outlet.
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.
Other weapons, including the British Storm Shadow missile, which relies on U.S. targeting data, are also subject to the new review process.
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.
