Joe Biden has sensationally granted Kyiv permission to use “long-range “ missiles to strike targets deep within Russia, despite Vladimir Putin describing such a move as an act of war.
The weapons are likely to be used in response to North Korea’s decision to send thousands of troops to Russia in support of President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and comes after months of pressure from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
He argued the US ban had made it impossible for Ukraine to try to stop Russian attacks on its cities and electrical grids.
We look closer at the weapons that could mark a turning point in the war.
The first deep strikes are likely to be carried out using Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rockets, which have a range of up to 190 miles (306 km), according to sources who revealed Biden’s policy.
ATACMS are a long-range guided missile that gives operational commanders the “immediate firepower to win the deep battle”.
Produced by US global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin, the missiles carry a 500lb (227kg) class blast fragmentation warhead.
These missiles can reach up to 300km (186 miles) and are tough to intercept due to their high speed.
The weapons are fitted with a specialised GPS system and carry cluster munitions.
When fired, the clusters open in the air, releasing hundreds of bomblets rather than a single warhead.
Until now the Storm Shadow missiles have been limited to Russian targets operating inside Ukraine, as well as in occupied Crimea. The missiles were likely used in the largest Ukrainian attack on the headquarters ofRussia’s Black Sea fleet last year at Sevastopol.
The other missile being touted the British/French made Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missile has a much longer estimated range of up to 550 km (340 miles).
The UK has supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadows, but hasn’t allowed Ukraine to use them against Russian territory.
Manufacturer MBDA has said that the missile, which is fired from an aircraft, is designed to evade detection despite flying low after being launched.
