For the first time, the United States will provide Ukraine with missiles with a range of 150 km for attacks on the Crimea

The United States intends to supply Ukraine with precision-guided Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) missiles with a range of 150 km, Reuters writes, citing officials familiar with the situation. The ammunition will be part of a new $2.2 billion aid package.

GLSDB is developed by an American Boeing Corporation with Swedish company SAAB. These homing missiles can be fired from HIMARS multiple launch missile systems, including against moving targets. GLSDBs are inertial and GPS controlled, can eliminate electronic interference, can be used in all weather conditions, and can be used against armored vehicles. According to some reports, Boeing offered the Pentagon to transfer this ammunition to Kiev in late November.

So far, the maximum range of the missiles supplied to Ukraine has not exceeded 80 km. GLSDB will allow the Armed Forces to strike the Crimea – from the front line on the banks of the Dnieper. For example, the distance from Kherson to Eupatoria is 170 km, and from Novaya Kakhovka to the important Dzhankoy railway junction is 150 km.

According to the agency, a new military aid package will be announced this week. In addition to the GLSDB, it will contain equipment for Patriot air defense systems, precision-guided munitions and additional Javelin ATGMs.

Kyiv insisted on handing over ATACMS missiles with a range of 300 km, which can be fired from the same HIMARS installations, but the US still refuses to comply with this request, fearing escalation. However, not everyone in Washington shares this opinion. Recently congressman Michael McCall accused President Joe Biden of cowardice for refusing to hand over ATACMS to Kiev. According to McCall, the “unwarranted fear of escalation” only prolongs the war. He also pointed out that the Ukrainians are asking long-range missiles to “liberate one’s own sovereign territory”.

A week ago about the possibility of delivering missiles to Kiev capable of reaching facilities in Russia, UK authorities said. They noted that such shells will allow resist the regular shelling of Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure – with their help it will be possible to destroy the complexes that carry out the launch.