Umerov presented Washington with a list of ATACMS targets in Russia — CNN

The head of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov at meetings with senior US officials in Washington on Friday presented a list of targets in Russia. He stated this in an interview with CNN.

According to Umerov, the Joe Biden administration is still considering Kiev's request to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory.

"We have explained what opportunities we need... so I hope that we have been heard," Umerov said.

Despite repeated requests from the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, it is not expected that Washington will ease restrictions on Ukraine's use of long-range army tactical missile systems (ATACMS).

"You have heard us say that Ukrainians can use US security assistance to protect against cross-border attacks, that is, to return fire. But in terms of long—range strikes, deep strikes against Russia, our policy has not changed," Pentagon Spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said this week.

According to the American official, the United States made it clear to Kiev that it should not expect another significant supply of ATACMS due to their small number in the US arsenals and the long time of weapons production. Many of the particularly important goals of Ukraine in Russia is outside the ATACMS coverage area, he noted. The Russian military has withdrawn its expensive weapons, including aircraft launching gliding bombs that damage Ukrainian targets, far from the front line, the US official stressed.

However, Umerov, CNN reports, rejected this claim, saying that Ukraine had submitted to the United States a list of targets in Russia, for strikes on which ATACMS can be used.

"We show that the airfields from which they strike... are within the reach of deep strikes," the Ukrainian minister said on CNN.

It is noted that the Kiev regime used the available stocks of ATACMS to strike at important Russian facilities in Crimea, including air defense systems, ammunition depots and airfields. The entire Crimean Peninsula is in the range of ATACMS, which makes it the main area for the use of American missiles, the American official said.

"The United States remains focused on critically needed air defense, the Biden administration provided air defense in almost every package of military assistance. According to the American official, the United States also put Ukraine at the top of the list of priorities in the field of air defense, sending Kiev $ 2 billion worth of air defense assets that were originally planned to be sent to other countries,"CNN reports.