Pentagon quietly vetoed Ukraine’s long-range strikes inside Russia: WSJ

The Pentagon has quietly prevented Ukraine from using US-made ATACMS long-range missiles to hit targets inside Russia, the Wall Street Journal reports. Since spring 2025, a case-by-case approval process overseen by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has effectively blocked such strikes as Washington tries to nudge Moscow toward peace talks.

A controlled trigger

According to US officials cited by the paper, a Pentagon review mechanism requires senior sign-off before Ukraine can employ long-range systems on Russian soil. At least one Ukrainian request to use ATACMS was denied. The same scrutiny reportedly extends to European weapons that rely on US intelligence, including Franco-British SCALP/Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

Although MBDA has worked to make SCALP/Storm Shadow “ITAR-free” to bypass US export restrictions, the missiles delivered to Ukraine still depend on US technology. In particular, their Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) navigation appears to use classified US cartographic data. Without that data, the weapons would be forced to rely solely on inertial navigation and GPS, reducing their precision and making them more vulnerable to Russian electronic warfare.

The restrictions mark a shift from late 2024, when the Biden administration allowed limited strikes inside Russia. Then President-elect Donald Trump called that decision “stupid” and, upon taking office, reinstated tighter controls while calling for an end to the war.

Additionally, Kyiv’s ATACMS supply has dwindled since the last deliveries cleared in spring. While the missiles have not shifted the balance of the war, they have forced Russia to harden key bases and logistics hubs well behind the front lines.

Flamingo: solace from US control?

Powered Joint Direct Attack Munition (PJDAM) (Credit: Boeing)The Wall Street Journal reports that Washington has approved the delivery of 3,350 ERAM standoff missiles to Ukraine as part of an $850 million package, financed mainly by European partners. The air-launched weapons, with a range of about 400 kilometers (250 miles), are designed for rapid mass production but will reportedly face the same usage approvals.

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Consequently, Ukraine is pressing ahead with its own solutions. President Volodymyr Zelensky recently announced that the domestically developed Flamingo missile, with a claimed range of 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles), could enter mass production in early 2026.The post Pentagon quietly vetoed Ukraine’s long-range strikes inside Russia: WSJ appeared first on AeroTime.

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