Ukraine will receive new groundbreaking US-made ‘glide bombs’ with a range of 100 miles as soon as possible, in new frontline battle against Putin

Ukraine is expected to receive a first batch of new long-range missiles that can strike deep into Russian territory.

The new 160-kilometer long ‘glide missiles’ could be a decisive factor in Kiev’s military capabilities and in the fight against Vladimir Putin’s invading forces.

The new precision-guided missiles, built by Boeing and Saab, will also complement Ukraine’s existing ATACM missiles, which are supplied by the US.

Their arrival follows months of testing by the US military, but even the US does not have these weapons in its arsenal, sources cited by Politico said.

Ukraine is expected to receive the small-bore ground-launched bombs as soon as today, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter, a relief to officials in Kiev after the EU said it would deliver only half of the shells it expects to receive in March. had promised.

A CGI video demonstrating the weapon shows the missiles being launched vertically into the air from the back of a green military truck.

Once at glide height, the warhead detaches from the initial propulsion system and spreads small wings, guiding it toward the target.

In the CGI video you then see a series of trucks driving over a bridge.

They are then shown being hit one by one as the missiles slam into them vertically, bursting into huge balls of flame.

A non-CGI demonstration is also shown in the video, showing the system in more detail, along with annotations of the key components.

All four people who spoke to Politico chose to remain anonymous in discussing the matter ahead of the official announcement, the outlet reported.

One of the officials told the publication that the new bomb, which can travel about 150 kilometers, is expected to be “a significant capability for Ukraine.”

“It gives them a deeper strike capability that they haven’t had before, complementing their long-range fire arsenal,” the official said.

“It’s just another arrow in the quiver, allowing them to do more.”

The war-torn country is in dire need of more weapons as supplies of the Army Tactical Missile System missiles with a range of 100 miles are already limited.

The new bomb will increase Ukraine’s stockpile of ATACMs.

Like the ATACMs, the new weapon is launched from the ground and delivers a 250-pound bomb attached to a rocket motor to its target.

Although the US has a similar weapon in its inventory that is air-launched (i.e. from an aircraft), they currently do not have a ground-launched version.

The US also provided the Ukrainian military with the HIMARS missile system, which is widely believed to have changed the situation in the summer of 2022.

Using weapons to strike deep behind enemy lines and attack key Russian infrastructure, Ukrainian forces quickly liberated large swaths of territory in the north and south of the country with lightning-fast counter-offensives.

This year, however, the same gains failed to materialize as Russia adjusted its tactics to counter Ukraine’s long-range systems.

The war has since come to a standstill across hundreds of miles of front lines, fortified by mines and trenches, with drones picking up anything that moves.

A precision-guided weapon of this type could allow Ukraine to once again strike high-value targets more consistently and maintain its dwindling supply of grenades, which the country desperately needs to stave off Russian advances in the coming months and years hold.

The bomb will join other weapons in the Ukrainian arsenal that allow Kiev to attack key Russian naval targets on the Black Sea, such as the British Storm Shadow missile.

Although the state-of-the-art weapon does not have the same range as the British missile, it will be a welcome addition as supplies run low.

News of the missile’s arrival will come as welcome news for Ukraine and its allies, after the EU said on Wednesday it would deliver only half of the million artillery shells it had pledged for Ukraine in March.

Brussels today also urged countries to send more weapons faster.

Josep Borrell, the bloc’s foreign policy chief, said he expected 524,000 howitzer shells would be delivered by the end of the 12-month timeframe set last year.

The inability to achieve the goal comes as the Ukrainian army is defeated along the front line by Russian forces almost two years after the invasion of Moscow.

Borrell stressed that the EU would eventually deliver more than a million artillery shells to Ukraine by the end of the year as the bloc’s defense industry continues to ramp up production.

As fears swirl around future military aid from Ukraine’s other major backer, the US, Brussels is demanding clear figures from EU countries on what they will give Kiev this year.

“Many members have sent their input and I can say that at least 21 billion (euro) will be budgeted for 2024,” Borrell said after a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, whose country is Ukraine’s biggest European donor, has called on others to lend their military support and do more to help Kiev.

Allegations have been made that key EU economies such as France, Italy and Spain are not doing their best to arm Ukraine.

The discussion over the EU’s military support for Ukraine will culminate in a summit of European leaders on Thursday, largely dominated by Hungary blocking 50 billion euros ($54 billion) in budget support to Kiev.

“You have to do more and faster, because the battle is fierce on the front lines and Ukraine needs more support,” Borrell told EU member states.

The EU is currently debating an overhaul of a central fund used to cover the cost of weapons for Kiev.

Borrell’s diplomatic service is pushing for an additional five billion euros for the fund, but Germany believes the contributions should be offset against bilateral aid.

The looming specter of former President Donald Trump’s possible return to the White House in November’s US elections has intensified calls for Europe.

The EU has launched a major initiative to strengthen its defense industry so that it is fit for purpose in the face of Russian aggression.

Arms makers are struggling to ramp up capacity quickly enough and say governments must commit to long-term contracts.

But Brussels insists it has now unleashed the momentum needed to bring the industry to a level that can meet the continent’s defense needs.

“We’ve definitely picked up speed,” Borrell said.

“There was some inertia initially, and that inertia causes the motion to stop, but once things start moving they can speed up.”

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told EU officials today that Congress’s failure to act on Ukraine’s financing would hand Putin a victory.

“We cannot allow Ukraine to run out of money before it runs out of ammunition,” Yellen said at a meeting.