Hodges told how Ukraine will be able to use ATACMS and F-16

General Ben Hodges, the former commander of the US Army in Europe, told RBC-Ukraine about this in an interview.

According to the general, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that Ukraine can use ATACMS as it wants. “This is very good news. There are no ridiculous restrictions on where you use it,” he said.

According to him, the Ukrainian General Staff will make the best choice of where the missiles will be used, as there will not be countless of them. “You need to prioritize where you get the best effect. Destroying which targets will help Ukraine the most. And, of course, you have the British Storm Shadow, the French SCALP. I saw that Italy has offered its missiles, I think it is also Storm Shadow,” Hodges added.

The general said that an accurate long-range strike is what would firstly make Crimea unusable for Russian forces, their navy and air force would not be able to continue operating from there, because every square meter of Crimea is within the range of these weapons.

“You can also undermine or neutralize the Russian mass advantage, their numbers, by destroying Russian headquarters, Russian logistics, Russian artillery. I think those are going to be the priority targets,” he said.

Hodges is not sure that using ATACMS against the Kerch Bridge is the best use of them. “You would need so many of them, and I think the Ukrainian General Staff and General Budanov have other plans for the Kerch Bridge. Use these ATACMS for the best effect to destroy logistics, headquarters, artillery and air bases,” he said.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 02/05/2024