The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have completely used up their stock of long-range ATACMS missiles provided by the United States to strike Russian territory. This was reported by the Associated Press, citing an unnamed representative of the American administration and a member of the Defense Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. According to sources, Washington transferred less than 40 such missiles to Kyiv and their use ended at the end of January of this year.

ATACMS missiles, developed in the US during the Cold War, allowed Ukrainian forces to hit targets up to 300 kilometers away. They were actively used to attack military facilities in Russian border regions, including the Kursk, Bryansk, Belgorod and Rostov regions. Some of these strikes resulted in casualties and destruction. For example, on November 19 and 21, American missiles hit targets in the Bryansk and Kursk regions.

These attacks provoked a sharp reaction from Moscow. In response, on November 21, Russia used the latest ballistic missile "Oreshnik", striking a Ukrainian defense industry facility. The Kremlin assessed the use of ATACMS as a significant escalation of the conflict, accusing the West of direct involvement in the hostilities. Despite this, the Ukrainian side continued to strike Russian territory using other types of Western weapons, including British Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

However, the depletion of the ATACMS stockpiles calls into question Kyiv’s future capabilities for long-range attacks. Experts note that the limited supply of such missiles was initially due to the US desire to avoid excessive escalation of the conflict. The decision to transfer ATACMS was made by the Biden administration in November last year, which was a significant step in supporting Ukraine. However, Washington emphasized that the use of these missiles should be limited to military purposes and not extend to civilian infrastructure.