The United States has supplied Ukraine with ATACMS missiles, which Kiev used on Tuesday against Russian troops in eastern Ukraine. “ATACMS has proven itself,” said President Volodymyr Zelensky, praising the operation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was asked about this at a press conference after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. The delivery of US ATACMS missiles to Ukraine creates “additional threats”, but the Russian military can repel these attacks, Putin commented: “War is war” (A quote from Medusaan independent Russian-language media outlet based in Riga, Latvia).
Vladimir Putin: “If Russia loses the war, why supply ATACMS missiles?”
These are highly unusual words for a Kremlin boss who is selling the war against Ukraine as a “special operation” against his own people. Russian-based media outlets are also not allowed to use the word – otherwise they could face sanctions or criminal prosecution. In response to another foreign journalist’s question about whether Russia has lost the war against Ukraine, Putin replied: “If Russia loses the war, why should it provide ATACMS missiles? Let US withdraw ATACMS and all other weapons. May Biden (For table, reference d. Red.) Take pancakes and come to our tea party.” Earlier, Putin said how the talks with Xi went. First there was a business lunch with foreign ministers, then he had a private and confidential conversation with Ji for two hours over a cup of tea.
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ATACMS deliveries will not change the situation in the line of communication, Putin added. This is another mistake of the US, which is increasingly “drawn into this conflict.” It did not benefit Ukraine either. “So they launched the long-announced and long-awaited counteroffensive towards Kherson. There are no results, there are losses,” Putin said.
Experts from USA Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in Washington. The Ukrainian ATACMS had previously protested that the strikes would have an impact on the Russian invasion. According to US forecasts, Russia will be forced to move helicopters and aircraft from the front line to further bases. The long-range missiles pose a “significant threat” to domestic Russian munitions depots. According to defense firm Lockheed Martin, ground-launched ATACMS missiles have a range of up to 300 kilometers and are highly accurate against ground targets. Deliveries to Ukraine contain cluster munitions, which open into the air when fired and release hundreds of so-called bombs.
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