The U.S., U.K., France, and Germany have lifted range restrictions on weapons for Ukraine

This was announced by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

“There are no longer any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine — not from the United Kingdom, not from France, not from us. And not from the Americans either,” he said.

This means that Ukraine can defend itself, he noted, “for example, by striking military positions in Russia.”

Kremlin-aligned war correspondent Kots claimed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces may soon receive the long-range air-to-surface cruise missile Taurus, capable of hitting targets up to 500 kilometers away.

“A fighter armed with a Taurus could reach, for instance, Tula or Kaluga from Kharkiv Oblast. A serious threat that will require a response,” he wrote.

Germany has not officially confirmed deliveries of this weapon to Ukraine.

https://t.me/astrapress/82076

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[–] [email protected] 72 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It’s about time.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Three years too late.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 week ago

Ukraine being forced to defend themselves against genocide with one arm tied behind their back has cost too many lives that could have been saved.

[–] [email protected] 49 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

... Are you fucking kidding me NATO? What rock have these idiots been living under for the past 3 years for them to keep range restrictions for so long?

[–] [email protected] 52 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'm not saying I agree with the calculations or even that I'm right but my hot take:

Placing limitations on the weapons systems did a few things. One, kept Russia from claiming xyz NATO country was providing weapons to explicitly strike Russia with which could be seen as further escalation. Two, as a way to put pressure on Russia to back down or accept a peace agreement by allowing a method of ramping up the effectiveness of the weapons systems provided to the Ukrainians. Third, there's no way if these are used against Russia they either won't kill civilians at some point. That's an easy propaganda win for Russia when they can point to the evil NATO bros giving Ukraine weapons to kill Russian civilians in Russia. One could argue we were trying to prevent that by limiting their usage via range restrictions.

Now that the play hasn't really done what they expected it makes sense to "take the gloves off" and let those weapons systems do more, including strikes further into Russia.

In short, it was meant to be a deterrent to Russia and to have maybe a gentleman's agreement of sorts that if Ukraine doesn't use their weapons platform that way then Russia might do the same (ie: try to encourage Russia to not bomb civilians indiscriminately). That clearly failed.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

Western powers think russia is a modern country that as a culture gives a damn about civillian lives. Nato does still not understand its greatest enemy at a very basic level.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago

They're worried about putins paper nukes.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 week ago

And this is like the 3rd time they supposedly lifted restrictions like wtf how are we still barely at this point? Where's the Taurus missiles? Same bullshit while Russia has fully stepped into it's global terrorism role

[–] [email protected] 33 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

The US too? This is the first time in months that my government has made a good military decision.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

They won’t actually be supplying any long range missiles to Ukraine. Daddy Putin would not like that.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Generally I’d agree with you, but a few things recently happened: at the Pope’s funeral, other world leaders let Trump sit at the big kids table and he met with Zelenskyy without his other handlers around, Ukraine acquiesced to that stupid rare earths deal Trump pushed them into, Russia violated their own cease fire over Easter weekend, and Ukraine recently unconditionally agreed to the Trump-negotiated cease-fire deal, which Russia flat-out ignored.

I don’t actually think Trump cares about the Easter perfidy, but the other world leaders stopped treating him like a joke at the Pope’s funeral, so he’s going to stop acting like one for a bit - at least about this one thing. But mostly, I think it’s because the mineral rights deal probably directly enriches him in some way, and the cease fire negotiation represents a matter of ego for him.
Russia is now fucking with his image/ego and his money. I don’t think the suspected blackmail that Russia may or may not have matters anymore. He’s looking for approval from world leaders, not the plebes, or even those in his own party, who are obedient dogs.

Huh. I mean. It fits in my framework to say that we can even see their support pull-back in Musk saying he’s no longer going to give money to the Republican Party to assist them in the 2026 midterms. I’m not saying he’s necessarily compromised or in the pocket or Russia. Just that he has some common interests with the folks in power there.

Editing to add: my point is a little … maybe irrelevant. I learned after this comment was made that the U.S. policy regarding ATACMS was changed last November — before Trump’s latest term.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Well, this is better than nothing.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago

I commented yesterday, lower down, but I later learned that the U.S. actually made the call to lift range restrictions under Biden.

Although it does look like they ran out of ATACMS in March and the U.S. has been sending the significantly less effective GLSDB as a replacement.

[–] Quacksalber 16 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Have they also lifted the target restrictions? There's a bridge I really really really want to see in the water.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Striking the airfields would be a higher priority IMHO.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 2 weeks ago

Bridges and airfields are both critical infrastructure in a military operation. Even if the primary value of hitting the Crimean Bridge is propaganda, it is still a high value strategic target for the purposes of severing russian supply lines.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If they can hit Kaluga from Kharkiv, that means they can hit Moscow from Sumy (Oblast)

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

It looks like this map was based on launching from the front line, though.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

Ahh sorry, I meant Sumy Oblast. I forgot that most of the oblasts share a name with a city in them

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 weeks ago

Too little, too late.... blow that freaking bridge already

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 weeks ago

Did enough Ukrainians die for them to notice? How did this happen?

Hopefully this turns the tide.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

Why now? Is Russia really collapsing?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago

There it is.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Only what, 3 years late? 4?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Well, he did just become chancellor.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

Okay that's fair, but the governments overall have no such excuse. Our (American) jackass just got reelected, but Biden was just as bad on this issue. For different reasons, but that's besides the point.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 week ago

What a cute hedgehog!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 week ago

What's the difference between the two Neptuns?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Didn't they do this like 8 months ago?