Russia has moved 90% of its aircraft used to attack Ukraine outside of a 300-kilometer zone from the Ukrainian border, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said during a press briefing on Sept. 4.
"The argument that somehow, you just give them ATACMS and tell them they're gonna be able to hit the majority of Russian aircraft and airbases that are, in fact, used to strike them, it's not true, it's a misconception," Kirby said in a response to a journalist's question.
The U.S. began providing Ukraine with long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) with a range of up to 300 kilometers (190 miles) in the spring of this year.
While the weaponry has been used in Russian-occupied Crimea, Washington's restrictions do not permit their use on Russian soil. Kyiv has lobbied Washington to lift these restrictions and allow Ukrainian forces to strike airbases and other military targets beyond the border zone.
When asked whether the U.S. is considering any changes to the policy, Kirby said, "I don't have any policy change to speak to today."
Kirby's statement confirms a claim made by a Wall Street Journal article in August. The outlet wrote that, according to an undisclosed U.S. official, Russia has transferred 90% of its military aircraft to bases outside the reach of long-range ATACMS.
President Volodymyr Zelensky complained in May that Western partners are deliberating on key decisions on military support for too long.
"Every decision to which we, then later everyone together, comes to is late by around one year," Zelensky said.
After prolonged pressure, Washington has permitted Ukrainian strikes with certain U.S.-supplied weapons on Russian territory but only just across the shared border.
Ukraine has been scaling up domestic defense production in order to strike key targets in Russia without regard to Western restrictions, developing its own long-range capabilities such as ballistic missiles or Palianytsia missile-drones.
Chris York
