NewsU.S. missiles in Ukraine raise fears of Crimea Bridge attack

U.S. missiles in Ukraine raise fears of Crimea Bridge attack

Part of the United States' support package is already in Ukraine, sparking controversy over the ATACMS long-range missiles Kyiv received back in March, ahead of the official agreement for the package. A Russian politician has raised concerns that the weapon could target the Crimean Bridge, accusing the United States of "funding terrorist activity."

Apty Alaudinow claims that the United States, by providing military aid to Ukraine, is actually financing terrorist activity, because Kyiv may try to strike the Crimean Bridge with ATACMS missiles. Illustrative photo.

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PJM

7:17 AM EDT, April 25, 2024

Apty Alaudinov, commander of the Chechen Akhmat unit and a senior official in the Russian Ministry of Defense, alleges that by providing military aid to Ukraine, the U.S. is indirectly supporting terrorist activities. This is because Kyiv might use ATACMS missiles to strike the Crimean Bridge, as reported by the Russian state news agency TASS.

"Two-thirds of this money will, of course, end up back in America," Alaudinov commented on the military assistance for Ukraine, which was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on Wednesday. "And a portion, including ATACMS and other weapons, will head to Ukraine as so-called assistance. In reality, this could be seen as funding terrorist activity. I believe these missiles will be used for terrorist attacks on Russian territory, which they can reach. The possibility of an attack on the Crimean Bridge is not ruled out," he added.

ATACMS missiles were in Ukraine's hands by March

The U.S. Department of State confirmed Wednesday that ATACMS missiles, with a range of up to 186 miles, were delivered to Ukraine in March. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan acknowledged that Ukraine had already received some of the missiles, with a "significant" number to follow.

The missiles were dispatched on March 12th and arrived in Ukraine within the same month. U.S. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel confirmed that President Joe Biden had " directly commissioned the shipment. Meanwhile, in a briefing on Wednesday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan mentioned that Biden made the decision in February, soon after North Korea supplied ballistic missiles to Russia. He stressed that the missiles are to be used solely within Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.

The Associated Press reported earlier on Wednesday that ATACMS missiles were secretly delivered to Ukraine in March. These missiles were part of a support package announced in March, valued at $300 million. According to two U.S. officials in contact with the agency, the missiles were employed last week in attacks on a military airport in Crimea and a Russian military base in Berdyansk.