Ukraine runs out of critical ATACMS missiles amidst conflict
The Associated Press reported that Ukraine no longer has ATACMS ballistic missiles available. Their stockpiles have been exhausted.
ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) is one of the few long-range weapons that Kyiv received as part of Western support. The American ballistic missiles can hit targets up to 100 miles or even 186 miles away, depending on the variant.
Ukraine without ATACMS missiles
The Associated Press cites an American official and a Ukrainian member of the country’s defense committee, both of whom provided information under the condition of anonymity. They confirmed that Ukraine depleted its ATACMS ballistic missiles by the end of January.
The number of ATACMS missiles supplied to Ukraine was never disclosed, although former Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin hinted that only a modest stockpile had reached the front. According to Associated Press findings, it was merely 40 units.
It has not been determined whether additional missiles of this type will be included in new aid packages currently heading to Ukraine. The United States resumed arms shipments to the front after a meeting between American and Ukrainian delegations in Saudi Arabia.
Significant capabilities of ATACMS ballistic missiles
Previous reports from Ukraine indicated that the U.S. had provided its army with both older (M39 from the 1990s with 950 M74 bomblets) and newer (most likely M39A1) variants of the ATACMS missiles. The latter have fewer submunitions but feature more precise satellite navigation, inertial navigation, and a larger engine.
Ukrainians used the ATACMS missiles for effective strikes on targets, including those in occupied Crimea and parts of Russia—such as ammunition depots in the Bryansk region or the Chalino airfield in the Kursk region. Strikes on targets in Russia with American weapons became possible after President Joe Biden's administration granted Ukraine permission in November 2024.
