In recent weeks, there has been growing support from Kyiv’s allies, particularly the United States and Britain, for Ukraine to use long-range missile systems supplied by the West to strike targets deep inside Russia. However, experts believe that this scenario is unlikely to turn the tide of the conflict in Ukraine’s favor. Robert Peters, a defense policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, stated that Russian forces are steadily advancing in eastern Ukraine and Ukrainian forces must first overcome these advances before they can push back.
The fall of Pokrovsk, a key Ukrainian transit hub currently under threat from Russian forces, is expected to lead to further advances westward. To counter this advance, Kyiv has urged its Western allies to lift the ban on using long-range missile systems against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the need for this capability during a meeting with Kyiv’s allies in Germany.
Ukraine is particularly interested in utilizing American-built ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) and UK-manufactured Storm Shadow missile system. These advanced systems have a range of over 300 miles and could potentially target high-value military sites within Russian territory.
However, concerns have been raised about potential risks and escalation if Ukraine were granted permission for deep strikes into Russia. The Kremlin has warned that such actions would be considered an act of war. Despite these warnings, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK counterpart David Lammy have indicated their readiness to support Ukraine.
There are also doubts about whether these long-range missile systems would be effective against Russia’s formidable air defenses such as the S-300 and S-400 systems. However, some experts believe that Ukrainian forces have successfully penetrated these defenses on a daily basis.
While there is support for providing Ukraine with long-range missiles from some quarters within Western governments like the US and UK; others express hesitancy due to limited inventories and concerns about potential conflicts with China in the future.
it remains uncertain whether granting permission for deep strikes into Russia using Western-supplied long-range missiles would significantly impact the conflict or escalate tensions further between Ukraine and Russia.
