US Sending Advanced Rocket Systems to Ukraine

On Tuesday, President Joe Biden announced in a New York Times opinion (Left bias) piece that he would provide Ukraine with "more advanced rockets systems and munitions" as part of a $700 million weapons package to help the country defend against Russia's invasion. 

This is the 4th major weapons portion and 11th aid package the U.S. has approved for Ukraine since the invasion started, the most recent being the $40 billion package passed by the Senate on May 19th.  It will include helicopters, tactical vehicles, Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger antiaircraft missiles, and other advanced weapons.  White House officials said specifically that the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is part of this package, which fire rockets with a maximum range of 50 miles.

The package does not include longer-range munitions for those rocket systems, which are known as ATACMS and have a maximum range of 186 miles. Biden had told reporters this week that the U.S. won't "send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia."

Coverage was widespread, and many sources cited the fact that medium-range rockets could in fact reach Russia if fired near its border with Ukraine. Ukraine has promised not to fire rockets into Russia, but instead use the weapons to fight Russian forces within Ukraine.