Ukraine’s military expert names main task of ATACMS on battlefield

He expressed this opinion on the Espreso TV channel

"Such strikes, which we have seen on the accumulation of Russian aviation in Berdyansk and Luhansk, should be methodical and regular. However, it all depends on the number of ATACMS. Such strikes will not only destroy enemy aircraft, ground infrastructure and specialised airfield equipment, but will also fulfil the main task of driving enemy aircraft away from the front. In other words, the main task of ATACMS is to get the enemy to move its attack helicopters and attack aircraft out of range of these missiles," Katkov explained.

According to the expert, ATACMS missiles will significantly reduce the effectiveness of Russian aviation.

"If Ukraine receives ATACMS with a range of up to 300 km, we hope so, it will mean that the enemy will reduce its flights per day to a critical minimum and, accordingly, attacks on our positions. Under such conditions, Russian planes and helicopters will spend more time flying than performing their missions. They will have to take more fuel and less weapons. That is, everything is extremely important in order to reduce the activity of Russian aviation," he added.

US has provided Ukraine long-range ATACMS missiles

On the night of October 16-17, Ukrainian forces successfully attacked Russian helicopters and airfields in Luhansk and Berdyansk.

Foreign media wrote that during this attack, Ukraine used for the first time against Russian troops the American long-range ATACMS missiles that the United States had secretly sent a few days earlier. 

Later, the White House confirmed the transfer of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that they would be used against Russian troops, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi demonstrated how Ukrainian defenders used them on the battlefield.

Later it was reported that Ukraine had received about 20 long-range ATACMS missiles from the United States. However, the Ukrainian army cannot use them to strike at Russian territory.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin called the supply of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine a US mistake and noted that it posed an additional threat to Russia.