Biden allows Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range U.S. missiles. Russian missile strikes hit Sumy and Odesa, causing casualties. Germany to deliver 4,000 drones to Ukraine referred to as a “mini-Taurus”.
Biden allows Ukraine to strike Russia with long-range U.S. missiles
President Biden has authorized the first use of U.S.-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine for strikes inside Russia, according to U.S. officials cited by The New York Times on Sunday. The weapons are likely to be initially employed against Russian and North Korean troops in defense of Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region of western Russia, the officials said.
President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use a powerful American long-range weapon for limited strikes inside Russia in response to North Korea’s deployment of thousands of troops to aid Moscow’s war effort, according to two senior U.S. officials cited by the Washington Post on Sunday.
One U.S. official said the move is in part aimed at deterring Pyongyang from sending more troops. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un must understand that the initial deployment has been a “costly” mistake, said another official who also spoke on grounds of anonymity.
The easing of restrictions on allowing Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMS, to hit targets inside Russia is a significant reversal in U.S. policy and comes as some 10,000 elite North Korean troops have been sent to Kursk to help Moscow’s forces retake territory gained by Ukraine.
The Biden administration fears that more North Korean special forces units could follow in support of this effort.
Ukraine plans to conduct its first long-range attacks in the coming days, two U.S. officials and a source familiar with the decision told Reuters on Sunday. Ukraine’s first deep strikes are likely to be carried out using ATACMS rockets, which have a range of up to 190 miles (306 km), according to the sources.
In his nightly address on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said: “The plan for strengthening Ukraine is the Victory Plan that I presented to our partners. One of its key elements is providing our army with long-range capabilities. There’s been much said in the media today that we have received approval to take appropriate actions. But strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves.”
French newspaper Le Figaro said Sunday that France and the UK had also authorized Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with their SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles. It later amended the article to remove the claim.
President Biden approved Ukraine using long-range missiles to fire against Russian and North Korean forces in the Kursk region of Russia’s territory, multiple outlets reported.
The partial lifting of restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western-provided long-range weapons against military objects within Kursk Oblast will not completely deprive Russian forces of their sanctuary in Russian territory, as hundreds of military objects remain within ATACMS range in other Russian border regions, the Institute for the Study of War said.
Russian missile strikes hit Sumy, Odesa, causing casualties
A Russian ballistic missile hit a residential building in Sumy on Sunday evening, killing 12 people, including two children. At least 84 others, including 12 children were injured in the attack. Russia used ballistic missiles with cluster munition warheads to strike the city, widening the impact area, the Sumy regional military administration said.
The military administration also said another missile hit critical infrastructure, leaving the city without power.
A Russian missile attack on Odesa on Monday killed 10 people and wounded at least another 55, head of the regional military administration Oleh Kiper said. Three people were in serious condition, he added.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said on Telegram that a Russian ballistic missile had hit a residential neighborhood, and that an apartment building, a university and an administrative building had been damaged.
Germany to deliver 4,000 drones to Ukraine referred to as a “mini-Taurus”
Germany on Monday said it was delivering 4,000 AI-controlled strike drones to Ukraine, which can apparently out-wit Russian GPS jamming capabilities and strike long-range targets, according to German newspaper Bild.
The drones, manufactured by the German company Helsing, are AI-controlled and highly resistant to electronic warfare. They are also referred to as “mini-Taurus”.
According to the report, 4,000 drones for Ukraine have been ordered from the company. First deliveries are expected to begin in December. This will happen in batches over the coming months.
Some prototypes are already undergoing testing in combat situations in eastern Ukraine and are being improved.
The drones use terrain matching AI and can reach targets in difficult weather conditions or in the “scorched earth” warfare. Once the drones identify the target and the operator confirms it, they can hit the target even if connection is lost.
Their range is four times farther than the conventional kamikaze drones used by the Ukrainian army (the drone types used for comparison were not specified). The German drones are cheaper than U.S.-made Switchblade or Russian Zala and Lancet drones.
German defense minister Boris Pistorius has confirmed the deliveries, saying he is happy that they’re taking place now, when they could not be more needed. The drones “can reach targets up to 30-40 kilometers in the hinterland, especially command posts and logistical hubs,” Pistorius added.
In February 2024, Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries and Helsing signed a memorandum of understanding.
Germany’s Olaf Scholz is holding firm in his refusal to send Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine.
The transfer of long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine doesn’t mean Germany is entering the war, said Friedrich Merz, the leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Germany’s opposition. The CDU can initiate a parliamentary vote to send Taurus missiles to Ukraine.