US secretly modified HIMARS for Ukraine to prevent Kyiv from shooting long-range missiles into Russia

The Pentagon secretly modified advanced rocket systems it sent to Ukraine to make the weapons unable to fire into Russia and escalate the war.

Since June, the U.S. has supplied Kyiv with 20 of the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), but the weapons are uniquely modified so they can’t fire long-range missiles, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials.

The Hill has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.

The HIMARS are wheeled vehicles equipped with rocket systems, which are attached to the back.

Along with the HIMARS, the U.S. has supplied Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) with a range of 50 miles, which have been used to strike Russian ammunition depots and command centers within Ukraine.

When President Biden announced the Defense Department was shipping the HIMARS and ammunition to Ukraine at the end of May, he said they would only be used for defense and the administration was “not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that strike into Russia.”

Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky also promised at the time not to use the missile systems to strike targets inside Russia.

The U.S. has also resisted sending Army Tactical Missile System (ATMS) rockets, a surface-to-surface missile that can hit targets up to 186 miles away. Officials cited similar concerns about Ukraine striking targets in Russia.

Kyiv has asked for the ATMS rockets for months, stressing the missile system would only be used to strike targets within Ukraine.

Washington has so far resisted calls from senators to send highly advanced Gray Eagle MQ-1C drones to Ukraine over fears they could strike targets in Russia and be recovered by Russian forces.

Moscow, which has repeatedly rebuked the U.S. for arming Ukraine, has warned Washington against sending Ukraine more advanced weaponry.

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a September briefing the U.S. would “cross the red line and become a party to the conflict” if it sent longer-range missiles to Kyiv.

Calls to provide Ukraine with longer-range missile systems and more advanced weaponry to strike back have grown more urgent after Russia in October began bombarding civilian infrastructure and energy grids in Ukraine.

A new wave of Russian rocket strikes hit cities across Ukraine on Monday.

Washington has provided billions of dollars for Ukraine since the war began and has slowly upgraded Kyiv’s arsenal as the conflict has dragged on, moving from anti-tank Javelin missiles to Switchblade drones and HIMARS.