By Deutsche Welle
18 Oct 2023, 09:58 AM EDT
The Russian leader Vladimir Putin assured this Wednesday (10/18/2023) that the ATACMS long-range missiles delivered by the United States to Ukraine, which used them for the first time recently, will not affect the course of the war. The leader of the Moscow regime made the statements in Beijing, where he is participating in a forum on the New Silk Roads promoted by China.
“The main thing is that they are not going to radically change things on the line of contact, it is impossible,” he said at a press conference at the end of his visit to China. “The agony for Ukraine will be prolonged”He added, considering that Washington was making “a mistake” by supplying those missiles to Ukraine. In his opinion, not helping kyiv defend its territory would have allowed “avoiding more Ukrainian victims.”
The delivery of ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) to Ukraine shows “that The United States is increasingly involved in this conflict“said Putin, who in any case recognized that this projectile poses threats to his troops. “This causes damage and creates additional threats. Naturally we will be able to repel these attacks. “War is war and these missiles represent a threat,” he said.
Nine fewer helicopters
On Tuesday, Ukraine announced for the first time that it had successfully used missiles with a range of up to 165 km, which the United States secretly handed over to it. For Putin, Washington “is getting more and more involved in this conflict.”. And let no one say that they have no relation to this. We consider so.”
He also commented on recent statements by US President Joe Biden, according to which Russia is losing the war in Ukraine. “If Russia has lost the war, why supply ATACMS? “Let them collect the ATACMS, all the other weapons, and come have tea with us.”he ironized, describing Biden’s statements as “laughable.”
For months Kiev has been demanding these weapons in order to destroy the Russian rear and supply lines in southern and eastern Ukraine from afar and thus give a better chance of success to the ongoing counteroffensive to liberate the territories occupied by Russia. In a recent attack with ATACMS missiles, Ukraine claims the destruction of 9 Russian helicopters and the death of dozens of invading soldiers.
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