Ukraine exploits Russia’s tactical vulnerability with ATACMS missiles?

(Dan Tri) – Experts say that the long-range ATACMS missiles that the US is providing to Ukraine are causing Russia’s tactics to reveal weaknesses.

ATACMS missiles attack Russian targets at night (Photo: Ukrainian Army).

Riley Bailey, an analyst at the ISW organization (USA), said that the ATACMS missile with a strike range of 165km that Washington aids Ukraine is making it difficult for Russia, making one of the tactics Moscow has applied in recent times become more difficult.

This type of weapon allows Ukraine to attack at a distance, reaching high-value targets such as warehouses of weapons, equipment, and ammunition.

Ukraine claimed to have used ATACMS in attacks on two airports in Russian-controlled territory earlier this month, destroying Russian ammunition dumps and helicopters and damaging the airfields.

According to expert Bailey, ATACMS has important advantages compared to other long-range weapons that Ukraine possesses, such as British and French Storm Shadow missiles, as well as American HIMARS rockets.

The advantage is that ATACMS has 950 cluster munitions inside and they will deploy when the missile is fired.

This feature helps Ukraine neutralize Russia’s previous tactics to deal with Kiev’s long-range attacks, according to expert Bailey.

According to him, before HIMARS appeared last June, Russia often concentrated military equipment in one area.

`Ukrainian forces were able to conduct attacks on ammunition depots with HIMARS that were devastating and forced the Russian command to disperse the ammunition depots,` Mr. Bailey said.

Russia’s goal is to avoid a Ukrainian HIMARS attack from causing too much damage if Moscow fails to intercept the rocket.

However, with nearly 1,000 cluster munitions in ATACMS, Ukraine can now attack enemy equipment and weapons located far apart, with a much wider range of destruction.

Previously, with HIMARS or Storm Shadow, Ukraine would attack in a `one-on-one` manner, meaning one missile would aim to destroy a Russian target.

However, with ATACMS carrying cluster munitions, one missile is capable of destroying many valuable targets.

Mr. Bailey said that Russian commanders now face a new problem to adapt to and may find this a bigger challenge than when HIMARS appeared.

Ukraine posted a video for the first time of firing ATACMS missiles destroying 9 Russian helicopters (Video: Ukrainian Army).

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said ATACMS marked a `new chapter of this war` and meant `there is no safer place for Russian troops` in Ukraine.

Mr. Bailey said, one of the options Russia can choose is to continue to disperse weapons, ammunition, and ammunition even further.

Having to withdraw aircraft deeper than the front lines also affects the time they can be deployed for combat missions.

Although ATACMS is effective, sources say that the US has only transferred 20 missiles to Ukraine.

Expert Phillips P. O’Brien from St Andrews University (UK) commented that this number is too small, indirectly giving Russia time to react and adapt, as well as find a way to intercept ATACMS.

According to Mr. O’Brien, Ukraine `should have received enough missiles to destroy all the airports` in the area controlled by Moscow.