The U.S. is leaning towards supplying Ukraine with JASSM missiles, capable of reaching 30 Russian airbases, according to Reuters.

The United States is nearing an agreement to transfer long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, capable of striking deep within Russian territory. However, Kyiv will have to wait several months, while Washington addresses technical issues before the supply begins, American officials reported. At the same time, if the deal goes through, 30 Russian airbases will fall within the strike zone.

Reuters reports that the U.S. is leaning towards a new agreement for transferring long-range missiles to Kyiv. It is expected that the inclusion of Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM) in the new arms package will be announced this fall, according to three sources. However, a final decision has yet to be made. The sources requested anonymity as they are not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

The transfer of JASSM to Ukraine could significantly alter the strategic landscape of the conflict, placing a large portion of Russian territory within the range of powerful precision munitions. This is a critical issue for the Biden administration, officials noted.

Military analysts indicate that the introduction of JASSM—missiles that are stealthy to radar and have a longer range than most missiles currently available to Ukraine—could force Russia to relocate its support bases and ammunition depots hundreds of miles away. This would severely complicate Russia's ability to sustain its offensive operations and potentially provide Ukraine with a strategic advantage.

Launching missiles from areas near Ukraine's northern border with Russia could allow strikes on military facilities in Russian cities such as Voronezh and Bryansk. In the south, strikes near the front line could reach airbases or naval facilities in Crimea.

The JASSM missiles enable Ukraine to strike approximately 300 km into Russia, targeting at least 30 airbases, some of which have been used by Russia for attacks.

What are JASSM missiles

Each JASSM missile is equipped with a large warhead weighing 1000 pounds. Unlike the Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles already provided to Ukraine by the UK and France, JASSM is not specifically designed for penetrating fortified bunkers. The cost of the latest versions is around $1 million per unit.

JASSM missiles are guided to their targets using signals from the Global Positioning System (GPS) and an inertial navigation system. As they approach their target, an infrared seeker helps the missile accurately home in on the impact point with a precision of about 3 meters.

Although older models may be less resilient to electronic warfare, the infrared seeker helps them locate targets even under conditions of strong electronic suppression, noted George William Herbert from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.

"These missiles are quite stealthy, though not fully optimized for maximum stealth technology. A few years ago, they were used for strikes in Syria after chemical attacks, and Russian air defense systems were unable to intercept a significant number of these missiles, possibly even none. I expect that carefully planned flight trajectories will allow JASSM to be effective in almost any part of the combat zone," said Herbert.

France has authorized strikes deep into Russia, and Storm Shadow has already hit Putin's bunker

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barbier confirmed that Ukraine can use French missiles to strike deep into Russia. He emphasized that Europe's security depends on supporting Ukraine and urged the West to strengthen its defense efforts. At the same time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces can do this only "for self-defense purposes," the French Foreign Minister stressed.

As a result of an attack by Ukrainian defense forces on November 20 using Storm Shadow missiles against an underground command post of the occupiers in Russia's Kursk region, 18 Russian servicemen were killed. Another 33 were injured to varying degrees. Among the injured are three servicemen from North Korea, reports the Ukrainian portal Defense Express.