Zelenskyy's advisor talks about state of ATACMS negotiations, schedule for further weapon supplies

The level of negotiations held on the supply of long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine is "intensive". 

As reported by RBC-Ukraine, Advisor to the President of Ukraine, Mykhailo Podolyak, stated this during an interview with Ukrainian political commentator Vassiliy Golovanov on his YouTube channel on January 10. 

"Very intense negotiations [on the ATACMS supply] are being held, because we explain the strategy and tactics of the Russian Federation [RF]. We explain, that if RF loses its storage, where their weapons are located, the intensity of shelling and possibilities of RF will fall very quickly. This is why we need long-range missiles", he said during the interview. 

Podolyak told, how the Russians started transferring their storage to distances above 100 kilometers after the Ukrainian Armed Forces started targeting them with HIMARS. 

The advisor also disclosed when Kyiv might start using the US-manufactured Patriot missile defense systems, stating that the armed forces could receive and put them to use as soon as by the middle of spring as he noted, that the logistical supply and training of those systems will take around 1.5 - 3 months. Ukraine is currently expecting the delivery of two Patriot units - one from the US and another from Germany. Podolyak further recalled, that Ukraine is expecting the supply of additional Norwegian-made NASAMS missile defence systems and Germany's Gepard anti-aircraft missiles and IRIS-T air defence system. 

"Our logic is clear to our partners. They understand, that the destruction of the infrastructures in the rear lines will speed up the finalization of the war", he further stressed. 

Caliber.Az recalls, that Politico reported that Kyiv received a rejection by the US for the supply of ATACMS, as the Pentagon believes such a weapon could lead to a serious escalation of the conflict. President Zelenskyy brought up the subject during his visit to Washington on December 21.