U.S.-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles are "pointless" in Ukraine due to their limited quantity and restrictions on strikes deep inside Russia imposed by Western partners, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 13 at the Yalta European Strategy conference.
The U.S. began providing Ukraine with Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which have a range of up to 300 kilometers (190 miles), in the spring.
While these missiles have been used in Russian-occupied Crimea, Washington's restrictions prevent their use on Russian soil. Kyiv has lobbied the U.S. to lift these restrictions, allowing strikes on airbases and other military targets beyond the border.
"ATACMS in the form that we have today (in Ukraine) is pointless if you cannot use it on their (Russian) military bases, airfields with helicopters and airplanes. It's pointless," Zelensky said.
"If ATACMS has a big restriction on the use of missiles because there are few of them... Unfortunately, it doesn't work."
Zelensky added that although much has changed during the war, Ukraine is still grappling with an arms shortage, relying heavily on imports and assistance from its partners. He emphasized the need for more 155 mm and 122 mm artillery shells.
"Yes, we have started to produce them (155 mm artillery shells), but this is not enough for the full-scale war. You can see that even the production volumes of the whole of Europe are not enough to close this gap for such a large-scale land war," the president said.
He also pointed to a lack of air defense systems, particularly the U.S.-made Patriot systems, and the ongoing shortage of missiles needed for air defense.
"We can't pressure the U.S.; we are grateful to them. Nevertheless, if we are talking about HIMARS, ATACMS, and other means that can accurately shoot down (aerial targets) and destroy the enemy, we need to increase production rather than limit the number," the president said.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Sept. 12, citing an undisclosed senior U.S. official, that U.S. President Joe Biden's administration aims to improve Ukraine's "strategic position" on the front line as much as possible before his presidential term expires this January.
The White House is discussing how best to help Kyiv over the next four months, regardless of who wins the election, the WSJ wrote.
Decisions include potentially lifting some restrictions on the use of long-range Western-supplied weapons against targets inside Russia, a move the details of which Biden is reportedly finalizing.
Chris York
