Boost for Ukraine as U.S. expected to send longer-range rockets

KYIV — News that the United States could soon send rockets nearly doubling the firing range of Ukrainian forces gave Kyiv a big lift on Wednesday, even as its troops were being pushed back by a relentless Russian winter offensive in the east.

Two U.S. officials said a new $2 billion package of military aid to be announced as soon as this week would for the first time include Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB), a new weapon designed by Boeing.

Sign up to receive the daily top stories from the National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.

By clicking on the sign up button you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You may unsubscribe any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails or any newsletter. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

Thanks for signing up!

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of NP Posted will soon be in your inbox.

The cheap gliding missiles can strike targets more than 150 km (90 miles) away, a dramatic increase over the 80 km range of the rockets fired by HIMARS systems which changed the face of the war when Washington sent them last summer.

It would mean every inch of Russian-occupied Ukraine, apart from most of the Crimea peninsula, could soon be in range of Ukrainian forces, forcing Moscow to shift some ammunition and fuel storage sites all the way back to Russia itself.

Ukrainian Presidential aide Mykhilo Podolyak said talks on the supply of the longer range missiles were under way, along with talks on attack aircraft. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the arrival of longer range U.S. weapons would escalate the conflict.

The expected U.S. announcement comes a week after Western countries pledged scores of advanced main battle tanks for the first time, a breakthrough in support aimed at giving Kyiv the capability to recapture occupied territory this year.

But the arrival of the new weapons is still months away, and in the meantime, Russia has gained momentum on the battlefield for the first time since mid-2022, in brutal winter fighting both sides describe as a meat grinder.

Moscow has announced advances north and south of the city of Bakhmut in recent days, its main target for months. Kyiv disputes many of those claims and Reuters could not independently verify the precise situation, but the locations of the reported fighting indicate incremental Russian advances.

Troops were fighting building to building in Bakhmut for gains of barely 100 meters (yards) a night, and the city was coming under constant Russian shelling, a soldier in a Ukrainian unit of Belarusian volunteers told Reuters from inside the city. Russian forces were maneuvering to try to surround it.

Ukraine’s general staff said late on Tuesday its forces had come under fire in Bakhmut and the villages of Klishchiivka and Kurdyumivka on its southern approaches.

South of Bakhmut, Russia has also launched a major new offensive this week on Vuhledar, a longstanding Ukrainian-held bastion at the junction of the southern and eastern front lines. Kyiv says its forces have so far held there.

UKRAINE WANTS JETS

Having finally persuaded NATO countries to supply modern battle tanks, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s government has been lobbying hard for fighter jets. The United States and Britain have ruled out sending their own advanced fighters, but other countries have left the door open.

In Paris after meeting Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov on Tuesday, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said “there was no taboo” about supplying Kyiv with fighter planes.

The West has so far refused to send weapons that could be used to attack deep inside Russia for fear of starting a wider conflict. Moscow nonetheless says Western pledges of weapons mean it is effectively at war with NATO.

Ukraine repelled a Russian assault on the capital Kyiv last year and took the offensive in the second half of 2022, recapturing swathes of occupied territory.

But its advances largely stalled since November, while Russia has been reconstituting its forces with hundreds of thousands of reservists mobilized for the first time since World War Two.

Capturing Bakhmut would be a step towards achieving Russia’s war aim of securing full control of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk province. But Kyiv says the Russian gains of recent weeks are pyrrhic victories, bought with costly human waves of soldiers and mercenaries recruited from Russian prisons.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2024, describing it as a “special military operation” to disarm its neighbor and reduce a security threat from Ukraine’s ties with the West. Kyiv and its allies call it an unprovoked assault to subdue the country and seize its land.

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux Writing by Peter Graff Editing by Philippa Fletcher)


Football news:

<!DOCTYPE html>
Kane on Tuchel: A wonderful man, full of ideas. Thomas in person says what he thinks
Zarema about Kuziaev's 350,000 euros a year in Le Havre: Translate it into rubles - it's not that little. It is commendable that he left
Aleksandr Mostovoy on Wendel: Two months of walking around in the middle of nowhere and then coming back and dragging the team - that's top level
Sheffield United have bought Euro U21 champion Archer from Aston Villa for £18.5million
Alexander Medvedev on SKA: Without Gazprom, there would be no Zenit titles. There is a winning wave in the city. The next victory in the Gagarin Cup will be in the spring
Smolnikov ended his career at the age of 35. He became the Russian champion three times with Zenit

3:12 Hamilton to seek veto over landfill applications amid odour issue in Stoney Creek
3:09 WRHA palliative home care on good path after failures, review recommendations: advocate
3:07 Averted disaster on Horizon flight renews scrutiny on mental health of those in cockpit
2:57 Averted disaster on Horizon Air flight renews scrutiny on mental health of those in the cockpit
2:56 Vancouver Island jewelry dealer targeted by thieves for 22nd time
2:54 French-language universities back English counterparts in criticizing tuition hike for non-Quebec students
2:51 Maggie Mac Neil makes Pan Am Games history with fifth gold medal
2:51 Georgia restaurant’s ‘bad parenting fee’ eats away at some customers
2:17 Raptors tip off Rajakovic era by spreading out offence to top T-Wolves
2:16 Schroder leads new-look Raptors to win
2:15 Dennis Schroder leads new-look Raptors to season-opening 97-94 win over Timberwolves
2:08 Arnold Schwarzenegger says he’d make ‘great president,’ but calls for ‘young blood’ in 2024
1:53 Some charges stayed against Vancouver escort
1:48 Vancouver man accused in Chinatown graffiti spree heads to court
1:43 At least 16 dead in Maine shooting, law enforcement sources say
1:43 At least 16 dead after shootings at bar, bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine
1:38 ‘LOCK DOWN’: Active shooter in Lewiston, Maine; cops investigating multiple scenes
1:38 ‘LOCK DOWN’: At least 10 dead in Maine shooting, number expected to rise
1:38 At least 16 dead in Maine shooting and dozens injured, cops say
1:30 Bank of Canada holds interest rate: What this means for British Columbians
1:30 At least 10 dead in Maine shooting and number expected to rise, law enforcement officials tell AP
1:30 At least 16 dead in Maine shooting and dozens injured, law enforcement officials tell AP
1:29 No, 1 pick Victor Wembanyama is set to debut with the San Antonio Spurs and the world is watching
1:29 No, 1 pick Victor Wembanyama debuts with the Spurs and the world is watching
1:27 Mom who killed kids in Idaho will be sent to Arizona to face murder charges
1:25 Active shooter reported in Maine, police investigating multiple scenes
1:19 King Township man charged after 3-D printed handgun, other weapons seized
1:17 Would-be hit men sentenced to 10 years for 2020 Vancouver shooting
1:16 Thousands of Las Vegas hotel workers fighting for new union contracts rally, block Strip traffic
1:16 Union workers arrested on Las Vegas Strip for blocking traffic as thousands rally
1:15 Calgary’s housing crisis: Those left behind share their stories
1:11 Imprisoned ‘apostle’ of Mexican megachurch La Luz del Mundo charged with federal child pornography
1:10 Police to detonate suspicious package ‘shortly’ in city’s north end
1:07 FIQ healthcare union votes to strike Nov. 8-9
1:07 St. Lawrence Seaway strike concerns politicians, stakeholders in Hamilton and Niagara
1:04 U.S. autoworkers reach deal with Ford, breakthrough toward ending strikes
1:02 Calgary police chief unaware honour guard attended controversial prayer breakfast, but ‘not surprised’
1:00 Laura Jones: Regulation should be about improving our quality of life while minimizing red tape
0:58 Montreal hosting government, community groups, law enforcement in gun violence forum
0:50 Two arrested in Kelowna homicide investigation: RCMP
0:49 Mom convicted of killing kids in Idaho will be sent to Arizona to face murder conspiracy charges
0:47 B.C. residents split on future of provincial carbon tax: poll
0:34 Do you know Slim? B.C. RCMP seek person of interest in fatal Sparwood shooting
0:32 B.C. mother-daughter jewelry designing team featured in Rolls-Royce book
0:30 The U.S. House has a speaker. What does that mean for Israel, Ukraine aid?
0:22 Héma-Québec adding new virtual experience to boost number of blood donors
0:22 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 26, 2023
0:19 What’s trending this Halloween in the Okanagan
0:16 Teens charged with retired cop’s murder accused of flipping off his kin in court
0:13 Dusty Baker tells newspaper he is retiring as manager of Houston Astros
0:09 UAW, Ford reach tentative deal to end weeks-long strike: sources
0:09 Volunteers harvest thousands of eggs as salmon return to South Surrey river
0:03 LILLEY: Canada’s Jewish community feels like it is under assault
0:02 Ex-NFL player Sergio Brown, charged with killing mother, denied release
23:56 $15 million class-action lawsuit brought against York University and student union
23:55 Ex-NBA star Dwight Howard denies sexual assault suit filed by Georgia man
23:54 Quebec taxpayers shouldn't completely bail out Montreal-area transit companies: Guilbault
23:54 Lethbridge training exercise sees emergency responders practice responding to large crowds
23:51 Driver in Malibu crash that killed 4 college students charged with murder
23:47 Canada to send additional humanitarian aid to Nagorno-Karabakh, Gaza, West Bank and Israel
23:45 Hurricane Otis unleashes massive flooding in Acapulco, triggers landslides
23:44 MANDEL: Nygard tells court no one could be locked inside his bedroom suite
23:41 North Vancouver architecture team designs Indigenous-inspired buildings that blend with nature
23:41 Airports see surge in asylum claims after border, visa requirement changes
23:37 Vaughn Palmer: David Eby makes no apologies for calling for halt to interest rate hikes
23:35 Housing crisis bears down on some of Calgary’s most vulnerable
23:35 'I will never look at myself as a murderer,' says man convicted of St-Laurent murder
23:34 Mac Neil leads another big day in the pool for Canada at Pan Am Games
23:27 Hydro-Quebec rates ‘never’ to increase above 3 per cent, premier promises
23:27 Pro-Palestinian protesters call for immediate ceasefire in Gaza at rally in Ottawa
23:26 TransLink faces $4.7 billion financial void by 2033 without funding change
23:21 Guy Favreau shelter could be granted winter reprieve, says city
23:15 Deer scatters diners after charging into crowded Wisconsin restaurant
23:09 Emergency homeless shelter at The Gathering Place: New Beginnings continues operations
23:02 Alberta premier promises firm exit number before referendum on CPP
23:01 Professor who called Hamas slaughter ‘exhilarating’ on leave
23:01 B.C. and Washington State agree to address Nooksack River flooding, set no timeline or obligations
22:59 Gregoire Trudeau ‘re-partnered’ months before separation announced: Report
22:58 Maple Leaf notes: Ontario Sports Hall of an honour for Shanahan and more video victories
22:57 Canadian connection: Timberwolves’ Miller learning NBA ropes from Alexander-Walker
22:57 Okanagan MLA Ben Stewart not seeking re-election in 2024
22:56 Mac Neil becomes Canada’s most decorated Pan Am Games athlete with fifth gold medal
22:55 Saskatoon green cart material to be processed in-house, temporarily lowering costs
22:51 A Montrealer by choice, Restaurant Gus chef shows what out-of-province students can contribute
22:50 Hate crimes against Jews and Muslims on the rise since Hamas attack
22:47 Federal officials say plan for water cuts from 3 Western states is enough to protect Colorado River
22:47 Ex-NFL player Sergio Brown, charged with killing mother, has been denied release
22:44 Seaway strike puts Saskatchewan’s international reputation at risk, producers say
22:36 Behind the concerns and complex feelings some Indigenous audiences have about Killers of the Flower Moon
22:34 Michigan State hearing officer rules Mel Tucker sexually harassed Brenda Tracy, AP source says
22:32 CPKC lowers earnings expectations due to ‘economic headwinds,’ port workers strike
22:31 ‘Fantastic’ pet food drive helps struggling military veterans in Calgary
22:24 Auto theft probe, Project Stallion, trots 228 accused before courts
22:19 Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., killer had a history of intimate partner violence, police say
22:09 Record number of visitors to food banks in Canada renews calls for greater support in Manitoba
22:08 $4.7 billion funding gap could result in major TransLink service cuts: Report
22:02 Rising cost of living putting unprecedented pressure on Canadian food banks
21:58 Turbocharged Otis caught forecasters and Mexico off-guard. Scientists aren’t sure why
21:58 Chretien reflects on 30th anniversary of election win, says House has become 'dull as hell'
21:57 Manslaughter charges arise from Saskatoon May suspicious death