[사진 출처 = 연합뉴스]After the Ukrainian army achieved success, such as recovering territory lost to Russia, it demanded long-range missiles from the United States.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 6th (local time) that the Ukrainian military is making a strong request to the U.S. for support of the long-range missile ATACMS.
The WSJ also analyzed that President Joe Biden’s strategy to support Ukraine has entered a new phase.
The Ukrainian military is of the opinion that ATACMS is necessary to reclaim Crimea, which was forcibly annexed by Russia in 2014.
The common view of military experts is that the biggest reason the Ukrainian military strongly requests ATACMS support is its range.
ATACMS has a range of about 320 km, which is four times that of the medium-range guided multiple launch rocket system (GMLRS) already supported by the US.
Therefore, if ATACMS is supported by Ukrainian forces, it can attack Crimea from a distance.
However, the U.S. has refused to respond to Ukraine’s request.
Supporting Ukraine’s restoration of Crimea and supporting ATACMS are two separate issues, due to concerns that the war could enter a new phase if supported. While Russia, already on the defensive, is raising tensions by mentioning the use of ‘nuclear’, if the US supports Ukraine with long-range missiles, the possibility of an escalation cannot be ruled out.
In fact, Russia has defined support for long-range missiles as a ‘red line’ and issued a warning.
It is reported that the US is in a position that GMLRS and the launch device HIMARS are sufficient.
Laura Cooper, a former senior official in the US Department of Defense, said: “I think we can reach most targets, including Crimea (with the currently supported weapons system).”
[이상규 매경닷컴 기자]
[ⓒ 매일경제 & mk.co.kr, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]