US ban on ATACMS strikes against Russian airfields allowed evacuation of Su-34s - Forbes
Illustrative photo: Russia managed to evacuate Su-34 from Malshevo airbase (facebook com inukraineofficial)
This summer, Ukraine had a unique opportunity to attack the Russian Malshevo air base and destroy Russian aircraft there. However, the United States did not allow the use of ATACMS for the attack, according to Forbes.
Earlier this summer, the 47th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment of the Russian Air Force deployed dozens of Su-34 aircraft in open at Voronezh Malshevo air base in southern Russia, about 160 km from the border with Ukraine. These aircraft drop guided bombs on the territory of Ukraine.
"Voronezh Malshevo is a reasonably well-defended base, so the Ukrainians pleaded for permission to fire their best American-made Army Tactical Missile System rockets at the base. The ATACMs are almost impossible to intercept. But the administration of US President Joe Biden said no," reports Forbes.
At the time, the White House said that Ukraine could only use ATACMS in the temporarily occupied territories.
Talks about the territory of ATACMS application were in favor of the Russians, and they managed to relocate Su-34s from Voronezh Malshevo and other border airfields. Now, the Su-34s are based hundreds of miles from the border and have become invulnerable to both Ukrainian drones and ATACMS.
According to media reports, if the White House ever permits the use of ATACMS to strike Russian airfields, "it might be too late."
What happened before
During the NATO summit in Washington, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the United States to allow Ukraine to strike Russian aircraft that launch guided bombs on Ukrainian territory.
It is known that Ukraine confirmed a strike with ATACMS missiles only once - in Crimea. At that time, the General Staff officially stated that the Kerch ferry crossing had been attacked.
