Anonymous sources have reported that Ukraine has given the United States and the United Kingdom a list of potential targets in russia for Western long-range weapons, should permission be granted, reports Reuters.
The officials say that the Ukrainians initially wanted to use US long-range ATACMS missiles to hit russian air bases.
Read more: ATACMS Wouldn't Reach Airfields With Tu-95MS Bombers But Ukraine Needs Their Full Potential Nonetheless
The targets were updated after the Pentagon revealed that 90% of the russian aircraft launching glide bombs, which are a significant threat to Ukraine, are based at airfields over 300 kilometers from Ukrainian-controlled territory.
That puts them out of range of the ATACMS.
Ukraine now wants to use the missiles to strike russian military command and control hubs, fuel and weapons depots and troop concentrations, according to Reuters.
In addition to U.S. ATACMS, Kyiv wants to carry out long-range strikes into russia using Storm Shadow missiles provided by Britain and the nearly identical French SCALP missiles.
Although Britain is expected to seek U.S. approval before lifting its restrictions on Storm Shadow missiles, a French diplomatic source said Paris did not need authorization from Washington for Ukraine to use French missiles.
U.S. officials noted that Ukraine already has the capability to strike targets in russia with drones. While U.S. long-range ATACMS missiles could further enhance this capability, their high cost and limited availability make them unlikely to significantly alter the current situation.
Additionally, the Kremlin has effectively moved the most pressing threat—russian aircraft equipped with glide bombs—beyond the reach of U.S. missiles, according to the officials.
Read more: How Far Ukraine Would Reach If U.S. Allows to Fully Use ATACMS (Map)
