Latest news with #ArmyTacticalMissileSystem
Scottish Sun
15-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
‘Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow?': Trump call ‘asking Ukraine leader if he can make Putin feel the pain of war' revealed
DONALD Trump reportedly asked Volodymyr Zelensky whether Kyiv could strike Russia's two biggest cities — if the US supplied the right firepower. The bombshell July 4 call marks a stunning shift in Trump's approach to the Ukraine war — with the peacemaker-turned-hawk now eyeing direct strikes on Russian cities to bring Putin to heel. 'Volodymyr, can you hit Moscow? Can you hit St Petersburg too?' Trump asked during the call, according to the Financial Times, citing two sources briefed on the exchange. Zelensky's answer was swift and direct: 'Absolutely. We can if you give us the weapons.' Trump, far from recoiling at the idea, backed it — describing the plan as a way to 'make them [Russians] feel the pain' and force the Kremlin into a ceasefire. Some of Ukraine's attacks on Moscow this year include a March strike on one of Russia's prized oil refineries - just 55 miles away from Putin's Black Sea palace. Russian air defences were also left scrambling to shoot down over 337 drones across 10 different regions, with Moscow and Kursk as the main targets. It's the clearest sign yet that Trump is done playing diplomatic games with Vladimir Putin — and is now preparing to take the fight to Russia's doorstep. The White House has refused to comment on the bombshell report. But it comes hot on the heels of Trump's blistering crackdown on Moscow, including a pledge to hit Russia with 100 percent tariffs if Putin doesn't agree to a peace deal within 50 days. The Financial Times revealed that following the call, a list of long-range weapons was shared with Zelensky in Rome during meetings with US defence officials and Nato intermediaries. The weapons discussed included the Tomahawk cruise missile, with a 1,600km range, and the Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms), which Ukraine has already used to hit Russian-occupied areas — and in some cases, targets deeper inside Russia. The plan under discussion could allow Trump to bypass the congressional freeze on direct US military aid by authorising weapons sales to European allies, who would then transfer them to Ukraine. A workaround, but one that could supercharge Ukraine's firepower without violating legal constraints. But American officials have expressed concern over Kyiv's lack of restraint, particularly after a series of daring attacks — including the infamous Operation Spiderweb, where Ukraine's SBU smuggled drones disguised as prefab homes into Russia and destroyed a fleet of strategic bombers. That strike, seen as a major psychological blow to the Kremlin, left 12 Russian aircraft heavily damaged or destroyed — retaliation for Moscow's continued bombardment of Ukrainian cities. While US-supplied Atacms missiles can reach up to 186 miles (300km), they still can't hit Moscow. But the message from Trump is clear: if Kyiv can deliver the pain, Washington may provide the means. Trump's fury has been building and his patience with the Kremlin tyrant is wearing very thin. On Monday, in the Oval Office alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte, he slammed Putin's refusal to deal, and threatened 100 per cent secondary tariffs on Russia if there's no ceasefire in 50 days. He also reaffirmed support for NATO's collective defence — in a stark contrast to his earlier skepticism of the alliance. 'I'm disappointed in President Putin. I thought we would have had a deal two months ago,' Trump said. 'We are very, very unhappy with [Russia], and we're going to be doing very severe tariffs.' He also revealed plans to arm Ukraine with Patriot air defence systems, while NATO allies would pick up the bill. 'We're not buying it,' Trump said. 'We will manufacture it, and they're going to be paying for it.' Rutte called it a 'game changer', promising a massive increase in European-supplied equipment. One of the powerful weapons which could make the cut and be included in package deal is America's joint air-to-surface standoff cruise missiles (JASSM). According to the defence news website Military Watch, President Trump is considering supplying the rarely used Lockheed Martin equipment to help Ukraine. The standard AGM-15 JASSM has an outstanding range of up to 230 miles with a warhead weighing 450 kg. They are also well-known for their ability to fly at low altitudes, which allows them to avoid radar detection. But Putin wasn't listening. Within hours of Trump's tariff threat, Russia launched a fresh blitz across Ukraine, striking sites in Kharkiv, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia. Drones targeted a university in Sumy, wounding a 14-year-old girl and a 19-year-old student, while a missile hit a medical facility in Shostka. In response, Ukraine launched its own drone blitz across southwest Russia, injuring civilians and damaging homes and industrial sites in Voronezh and Lipetsk. The Kremlin's reaction to Trump's latest posture was icy. Putin infamous crony, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, mocked Trump's deadline as 'theatrical,' writing on X: 'Trump issued a theatrical ultimatum to the Kremlin. 'The world shuddered, expecting the consequences. Belligerent Europe was disappointed. Russia didn't care.'
New Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Germany's Merz offers to help Ukraine develop its own long-range missiles to hit Russia
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul was set to meet in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later Wednesday. Germany doesn't mention its Taurus cruise missiles Merz declined to say whether Germany will supply its advanced Taurus long-range cruise missile to Ukraine — long a request by Kyiv and a step that Berlin has resisted. Asked about Germany's offer to fund long-range missile production in Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that the move was an obstacle to reaching a peace agreement. Both Merz and Zelenskyy criticized the Kremlin's effective rejection of an unconditional ceasefire proposed by the U.S., which Kyiv accepted, and its delay in responding to proposals for a settlement. Merz said last Monday that Germany and other major allies were no longer imposing range limits on weapons they send to Ukraine, though he indicated their use was limited to Russian military targets. Then U.S. President Joe Biden late last year authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles for limited strikes into Russia. The decision allowed Ukraine to use the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, against Russia. In Berlin, Zelenskyy called for deeper defense cooperation across Europe and with the United States, stressing the need for long-range capabilities and sustained military funding to ensure Ukraine's resilience. 'We need sufficient long-range capabilities. That's why we must be certain of the financing of our army and the stability of Ukraine,' he said. He said the cooperation projects already exist. 'We simply want (the missiles) to be produced in the quantity we need,' Zelenskyy told the news conference. Zelenskyy said Tuesday that Ukraine is ready to hold peace talks at the highest level, including a trilateral meeting with himself, Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. 'We are ready to meet at the level of leaders. Both the American side knows this, and the Russian side knows this,' he said. Zelenskyy said he would accept any configuration of talks, whether that includes one trilateral meeting or separate meetings with Trump. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said that Russia is grateful to Trump for his mediation efforts. 'At the same time, there is a big number of nuances to be discussed that can't be neglected and which neither party is going to sacrifice, because of its national interests,' Peskov told reporters. 'Just like the United States, Russia has its national interests that are of primary importance to us.' He said that Moscow will 'soon' deliver its promised memorandum on a framework for a peace settlement. Front-line fighting, deep strikes continue Meanwhile, fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where Ukraine's army is shorthanded against its bigger adversary. Zelenskyy claimed Tuesday that Russia is mobilizing up to 45,000 men every month, while Ukraine mobilizes between 25,000-27,000. Both sides are continuing to conduct deep strikes. Russia launched its biggest drone attack of the war against Ukraine on Sunday. Russian air defenses downed 296 Ukrainian drones over 13 Russian regions late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Russia's Defense Ministry said, in what appeared to be one of the biggest Ukrainian drone assaults of the war. Ukraine is increasing its domestic production of drones and missiles, according to Zelenskyy. He said late Tuesday that Ukraine wants European countries to help it invest in the manufacturing of attack drones, air defense interceptors, cruise missiles and ballistic systems. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that air defenses shot down Ukrainian 33 drones heading toward the capital. Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said that 42 drones were downed. He said that drone fragments damaged three residential buildings in the village of Troitskoye, but no one was hurt. Russia's federal aviation agency, Rosaviatsiya, said Wednesday that more than 60 flights had been canceled across Moscow as the capital's airports were forced to ground planes amid drone warnings. Overnight, Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine using five Iskander ballistic missiles, one guided air-launched missile and 88 drones, Ukraine's Air Force said Wednesday. Air defense units shot down 34 drones, and 37 drones were jammed.
Russia Today
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine out of ATACMS
The Ukrainian military has used up all of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles supplied by the US during the fighting with Russia, the Associated Press has reported, citing an American official. Kiev started using ATACMS missiles, which have a range of 300km, for attacks into internationally recognized Russian territory from the autumn of 2024, in particular targeting the border regions of Kursk, Bryansk, Belgorod, and Rostov. However, Ukraine's stock of ATACMS had been fully exhausted by late January, the AP reported on Wednesday. Overall, Ukraine received 'fewer than 40' of the missiles from Washington, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. An unnamed Ukrainian lawmaker, who sits on the country's defense committee, also confirmed to the AP that Kiev does not have any more ATACMS left. The previous administration of US President Joe Biden initially forbade Ukraine from striking deep into Russia with American-made weapons, but eventually reversed its stance on the issue. The UK and France followed suit by also allowing attacks with their Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles. Moscow had warned the US and its allies against greenlighting long-range Ukrainian strikes, arguing that they would make NATO a direct participant in the conflict due to Kiev's inability to fire sophisticated weapons on its own. Russia responded to the first strikes with ATACMS in November last year by launching its new hypersonic Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile system at the Yuzhmash military industrial facility in the Ukrainian city of Dnepr. The Russian military says it has been successful in shooting down ATACMS and other longer-range Western-made munitions on most occasions. The Defense Ministry in Moscow has not reported intercepting American missiles since mid-January.
Russia Today
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Ukraine has run out of US-supplied missiles
The Ukrainian military has used up all of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles supplied by the US during the fighting with Russia, the Associated Press has reported, citing an American official. Kiev started using ATACMS missiles, which have a range of 300km, for attacks into internationally recognized Russian territory from the autumn of 2024, in particular targeting the border regions of Kursk, Bryansk, Belgorod, and Rostov. However, Ukraine's stock of ATACMS had been fully exhausted by late January, the AP reported on Wednesday. Overall, Ukraine received 'fewer than 40' of the missiles from Washington, according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. An unnamed Ukrainian lawmaker, who sits on the country's defense committee, also confirmed to the AP that Kiev does not have any more ATACMS left. The previous administration of US President Joe Biden initially forbade Ukraine from striking deep into Russia with American-made weapons, but eventually reversed its stance on the issue. The UK and France followed suit by also allowing attacks with their Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles. Moscow had warned the US and its allies against greenlighting long-range Ukrainian strikes, arguing that they would make NATO a direct participant in the conflict due to Kiev's inability to fire sophisticated weapons on its own. Russia responded to the first strikes with ATACMS in November last year by launching its new hypersonic Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile system at the Yuzhmash military industrial facility in the Ukrainian city of Dnepr. The Russian military says it has been successful in shooting down ATACMS and other longer-range Western-made munitions on most occasions. The Defense Ministry in Moscow has not reported intercepting American missiles since mid-January.
