On August 8, 2024, Ukrainian officials asked Washington for permission to allow the deployment of American long-range ATACMS missiles at airfields used by Russia in retaliation for its ongoing incursion into the Kursk region.
An adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who asked not to be identified, told the Washington Post that if the request is approved, Kyiv could control part of Kursk Oblast for a longer period of time.
“This will give them the necessary influence for the negotiations with Russia – that is what it is all about”, the officer explained.
The demand came in the wake of Ukraine’s offensive in Russia’s Kursk Oblast, which began on August 6. The Ukrainian military took control of several hundred square kilometers in the area of Sudzha, a Russian city a few kilometers from the Ukrainian Sumy Oblast.
The Biden administration has not objected to the attack, with Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh saying on August 8 that it was consistent with a policy change in May that allows Ukrainian commanders to pursue targets in Russia if Russian forces prepare attacks on Ukraine.
While the Biden administration has not yet responded to the request to use ATACMS, it has previously authorized Ukraine to use donated weapons to prevent or intercept attacks from Russia in the border areas.
According to WP, analysts believe that Ukraine may be trying to gain an advantage in future negotiations with Russia, while the offensive may be aimed at withdrawing Russian troops from other frontline areas, particularly the eastern Donetsk region, where Ukraine has lost ground in recent months.
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