In a recent update on military aid to Ukraine, the United States has decided not to allow the deployment of Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles for attacks in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine recently launched a surprise offensive, according to CNN.

The decision follows recent calls from Ukraine to use these long-range weapons in its ongoing offensive operations in Kursk.

According to anonymous government officials cited by CNN, the US is refusing authorization not out of concern about possible escalation, but for strategic reasons related to the limited availability of these long-range weapons.

The US-supplied ATACMS missiles are a crucial part of Ukraine’s arsenal, which the country aims to use to strengthen its strike capabilities.

However, the US has decided to prioritize its deployment in the Crimea region over attacks in Kursk Oblast. This decision aims to maximize the impact of the limited number of ATACMS missiles available.

Ukrainian F-16 fighters could receive AGM-158 JASSMs that could turn the tables on Russian jets – US media

U.S. officials said the ATACMS’ long-range capabilities could be used more effectively in Crimea, which remains a major flashpoint in the ongoing conflict. Crimea is a strategic and symbolic target for Ukraine and is therefore a priority for the deployment of modern weapons.

The US position reflects the strategy of strategically managing the allocation and use of advanced military technology to gain the greatest possible advantage in conflict.

By focusing on Crimea, the United States aims to help Ukraine target critical Russian assets and positions that could significantly impact the overall war effort.

Still, the decision could be problematic for Ukraine, which recently launched a major offensive in Kursk and is now trying to consolidate its gains. The offensive, which began on August 6, was a dramatic move that caught the Kremlin by surprise.

Moscow has been struggling to repel the Ukrainian attack for over a week and has taken a series of emergency measures, including evacuating hundreds of thousands of civilians from the affected areas.

Conversely, in order to strengthen its recently acquired territory, Ukraine has requested US permission to use ATACMS missiles against targets in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

The deployment of these long-range missiles was likely intended to help Ukraine attack key Russian positions and strengthen its control over the areas it had advanced into. Such a move would have been a strategic advantage and would have enabled Ukrainian forces to hold their position.

Russia moves troops to defend against Kursk offensive

The report also revealed that Russia had withdrawn several thousand troops from occupied Ukrainian territories to counter a surprisingly successful Ukrainian offensive within Russian borders – a move that could potentially jeopardise Moscow’s entire war effort.

Several brigade units, each with at least 1,000 soldiers, were relocated to the Kursk region.

US officials have noted that this troop deployment does not mean that Russian President Vladimir Putin has abandoned military operations in other parts of Ukraine, such as the northeast or the south near Zaporizhia, where fighting is still ongoing.

The repositioning of Russian troops suggests that Ukraine’s aggressive strategy, initially seen as bold but potentially ineffective, could yield greater strategic advantage if Ukraine succeeds in maintaining control over the territories it has seized from Russia.

The Ukrainian operation particularly impressed American officials, largely because of the secret nature of its planning and execution.

While the operation may have exposed some weaknesses in Ukraine’s defenses along the 960-kilometer-long front line, it may also have drawn Russian troops away from other areas where they had made gradual progress over the summer.

Ukraine says more than 1,000 square kilometers (386 square miles) of Russian territory have been recaptured and tens of thousands of Russian civilians have been displaced since the attack began.

Both senior American and European intelligence officials are convinced that a key goal of the operation in Ukraine is to pose strategic dilemmas for Moscow, particularly regarding the allocation of Russian military resources.

Nevertheless, it is estimated that Russia has hundreds of thousands of troops stationed along the front line in Ukraine, suggesting that the immediate impact of redeploying a few thousand troops would be minimal.

Moreover, Russia has not yet moved its larger, better-trained units from Ukraine to Kursk. Instead, it appears that it is reinforcing Kursk’s defenses primarily with untrained conscripts from other parts of Russia.

In addition to the troops withdrawn from Ukraine, Russia also sent personnel from the Leningrad and Kaliningrad Military Districts to assist in the defense of Kursk.

Although American and Western officials acknowledge the limited success of the operation so far, it is too early to assess the broader impact of Ukraine’s efforts on the outcome of the war overall.

In addition, there are fears that sending experienced Ukrainian troops to Kursk could expose vulnerabilities on the front lines, allowing Russia to exploit those weaknesses and advance further into Ukraine.