“The U.S. is also withholding rockets with the longest range. The ostensible reason is that the Biden Team worries about Ukrainians striking into Russian territory. But the Ukrainians have promised only to defend their sovereign land, and withholding the weapons suggests we don’t trust them.”
We don’t, because they already announced their target #1 for long range weapons is the Crimea bridge.
I think Ukraine will blow the Crimea bridge before long whether they get the rockets or not.
Russia has poured billions into that bridge and blowing it would be a huge humiliation for Putin. And it would reduce the arms flow into Crimea and lessen the chance Russia can take Odessa.
“We don’t, because they already announced their target #1 for long range weapons is the Crimea bridge.”
Which is in Ukraine.
“We don’t, because they already announced their target #1 for long range weapons is the Crimea bridge.”
Which is in Ukraine. Well, half of it, anyway.
What General Marchenko said was the Crimean bridge was a priority target. He did not say Ukraine was going to use the MLRS systems they get on it. Ukraine is not getting missiles that could reach any part of the bridge from the territory they hold. Cluster munitions will not destroy the bridge, neither will a few hits from 500 lb. bombs. Even if they did get the ATACMS, there isn’t much Ukrainian held territory in range and Russian can figure out likely launch areas. Ukraine has more important targets for the MLRS than a target they can’t hit or destroy with weapons they are not getting.