Ukraine strikes Russian aggressor with long-range missiles.

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Ukraine has begun using long-range ballistic missiles secured from the United States in secrecy for the first time. American officials said on Wednesday that the Ukrainian military hit a Russian military airport in Crimea last week as well as Russian forces overnight in another occupied area.

Ukraine had long sought the supply of new missiles that double the range of action up to 300 kilometers. Last October, the United States provided Ukraine with shorter-range missiles. One official said that the United States is offering Ukraine more long-range missiles based on an aid package signed by President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

In February, President Biden approved a plan to provide Ukraine with a tactical missile system known as ATACMS. In March, Washington included a significant number of such systems in an aid package worth $300 million, said an official.

Two American officials, speaking on condition of anonymity before the shipment to Ukraine became public, declined to give the exact number of missiles sent last month or in the latest aid package.

For months, Washington did not equip Ukraine with long-range missiles due to fear that Kiev might use them to strike within Russian territory, angering Moscow and leading to an escalation of the conflict.

This was the main reason why Washington provided Ukraine with medium-range missiles in October, covering a distance of about 160 kilometers.

Admiral Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Wednesday that the White House and military planners carefully reviewed the risks of providing long-range missiles and decided that now was the right time.

In an interview with The Associated Press, he said that long-range weapons will help Ukraine eliminate Russian logistics nodes and troop concentrations that are not on the front line. Mr. Grady declined to identify the specific weapons being sent to Ukraine, but said they would be “very destructive if used properly, and I have confidence that they will be used properly.”

On Wednesday, President Joe Biden approved a bill providing $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.

Ukrainian officials have not publicly acknowledged receiving or using the ATACMS long-range missiles. But thanking the U.S. Congress for approving the aid package on Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that “Ukrainian long-range military equipment, artillery, and air defense are extremely important tools for restoring peace.”

A U.S. official said that the Biden administration had warned Russia that if Moscow bought or used long-range ballistic missiles, Washington would provide Kiev with the same type of missiles.

Russia obtained such missiles from North Korea and has used them on the battlefield in Ukraine, the official said, prompting the Biden administration to approve the shipment of long-range missiles.

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