“They have been heating up this topic for a long time”: what is behind Kyiv’s statements about the prospects for the supply of longer-range missiles for HIMARS

Oleksiy Danilov, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine, hopes that Kyiv will soon begin receiving longer-range projectiles for HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS).

Danilov spoke about this during the telethon.

He was asked whether long-range projectiles could be expected for US-provided MLRS systems.

“With regard to HIMARS, there is some understanding that we have already begun to receive shells that are sent much further than it was at first.

And let's hope that what we need, of that range, will soon appear on the territory of our country, ”TASS quotes Danilov.

Recall, on June 1, the head of the White House, Joe Biden, announced the provision of an assistance package to Ukraine, which included the HIMARS MLRS.

On July 8, Washington announced additional deliveries of these weapons to Kyiv.

Taking into account the published statements of the American side, the number of such vehicles in Ukraine will reach 12.

In mid-July, a deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, a member of the parliamentary committee on national security, defense and intelligence, Fyodor Venislavsky, said that Kyiv had ammunition for HIMARS capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 70-80 km.

According to him, Kyiv "at all levels" is negotiating with the United States on the transfer of ammunition for longer-range HIMARS.

Also on russian.rt.com “Weapons from the USA to destroy the cities of Donbass”: the Russian Embassy accused Washington of prolonging the conflict in Ukraine

At the same time, Biden has previously argued that Washington does not intend to supply Kyiv with long-range missiles capable of reaching Russian territory.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, in turn, promised not to use weapons supplied from abroad for strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation.

However, Kyiv is using US-supplied weapons to shell the cities of Donbass.

As Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in mid-July, the United States was transmitting intelligence to Ukraine for shelling settlements in Donbass using HIMARS installations.

As Zakharova explained, the American side not only provided intelligence, “but also secretly seconded instructors who helped representatives of the Kyiv regime to aim correctly.”

“It is with the supply of this type of heavy weapons that the noticeable activation of the artillery of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is associated, which, apparently, received an order from the capital without the slightest hesitation to use the mentioned installations against the civilian population,” Zakharova said during a briefing on July 14.

Military expert Alexei Leonkov, in an interview with RT, noted that the United States did not specify what kind of ammunition for HIMARS Kyiv would receive.

“Therefore, fantasies on the part of the National Security and Defense Council begin, because they have long been heating up this topic related to the fact that as soon as they receive a long-range missile, they will take care of the Crimean bridge,” the expert said.

According to him, HIMARS systems were at the center of a large-scale information campaign.

“Some types of American weapons did not behave in the best way in the NVO zone, the same vaunted Javelins and M777 howitzers.

Now the bet has been placed on HIMARS, and a competent information campaign has been launched around them, which we are observing, ”he said.

Commenting on the possibility of supplying Kyiv with long-range shells for HIMARS, military expert, retired colonel Viktor Litovkin said that Russia faces several tasks in this case.

First, we should create a layered system of air and missile defense.

“The second task is to quickly conduct reconnaissance of these weapons, where they are, and destroy them.

And the third task is to prevent these missiles from entering the territory of Ukraine, that is, to destroy railway crossings, stations where cars are changed from a narrow gauge European to a wide Russian one, so that they simply do not get into the territory of Ukraine, ”said Litovkin.

Medvedev on the need to investigate the supply of American weapons

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev said that Washington continues to "uncontrollably pump weapons to the agonizing Kyiv regime."

He warned of the risk that US-supplied weapons to Ukraine could fall into the hands of criminals.

“The American weapons now being delivered to Little Russia will spread through the hands of various criminals around the world.

More precisely, it is already spreading with might and main.

Moreover, under the "roof" of the administration and intelligence agencies of the United States.

In fact, America is once again becoming a sponsor of international terrorism,” Medvedev wrote on Telegram.

According to him, in the future, together with the responsible countries, a mechanism for investigating American arms supplies to Kyiv can be organized.

“And it is possible to think about the formation of a special international body for the seizure of American gifts crawling out here and there,” Medvedev added.