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The Star
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
NATO needs more long-range missiles to deter Russia, US general says
FILE PHOTO: An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo BERLIN (Reuters) -NATO will need more long-range missiles in its arsenal to deter Russia from attacking Europe because Moscow is expected to increase production of long-range weapons, a U.S. Army general told Reuters. Russia's effective use of long-range missiles in its war in Ukraine has convinced Western military officials of their importance for destroying command posts, transportation hubs and missile launchers far behind enemy lines. "The Russian army is bigger today than it was when they started the war in Ukraine," Major General John Rafferty said in an interview at a U.S. military base in Wiesbaden, Germany. "And we know that they're going to continue to invest in long-range rockets and missiles and sophisticated air defences. So more alliance capability is really, really important." The war in Ukraine has underscored Europe's heavy dependence on the United States to provide long-range missiles, with Kyiv seeking to strengthen its air defences. Rafferty recently completed an assignment as commander of the U.S. Army's 56th Artillery Command in the German town of Mainz-Kastel, which is preparing for temporary deployments of long-range U.S. missiles on European soil from 2026. At a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is expected to try to clarify whether such deployments, agreed between Berlin and Washington when Joe Biden was president, will go ahead now that Donald Trump is back in the White House. The agreement foresaw the deployment of systems including Tomahawk missiles with a range of 1,800 km and the developmental hypersonic weapon Dark Eagle with a range of around 3,000 km. Russia has criticised the planned deployment of longer-range U.S. missiles in Germany as a serious threat to its national security. It has dismissed NATO concerns that it could attack an alliance member and cited concerns about NATO expansion as one of its reasons for invading Ukraine in 2022. EUROPEAN PLANS Fabian Hoffmann, a doctoral research fellow at Oslo University who specialises in missiles, estimated that the U.S. provides some 90% of NATO's long-range missile capabilities. "Long-range strike capabilities are crucial in modern warfare," he said. "You really, really don't want to be caught in a position like Ukraine (without such weapons) in the first year (of the war). That puts you at an immediate disadvantage." Aware of this vulnerability, European countries in NATO have agreed to increase defence spending under pressure from Trump. Some European countries have their own long-range missiles but their number and range are limited. U.S. missiles can strike targets at a distance of several thousand km. Europe's air-launched cruise missiles, such as the British Storm Shadow, the French Scalp and the German Taurus, have a range of several hundred km. France's sea-launched Missile de Croisiere Naval (MdCN) can travel more than 1,000 km. They are all built by European arms maker MBDA which has branches in Britain, France, Germany and Italy. France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Britain and Sweden are now participating in a programme to acquire long-range, ground-launched conventional missiles known as the European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA). As part of the program, Britain and Germany announced in mid-May that they would start work on the development of a missile with a range of over 2,000 km. (Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Straits Times
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
NATO needs more long-range missiles to deter Russia, US general says
FILE PHOTO: An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 10, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich/File Photo BERLIN - NATO will need more long-range missiles in its arsenal to deter Russia from attacking Europe because Moscow is expected to increase production of long-range weapons, a U.S. Army general told Reuters. Russia's effective use of long-range missiles in its war in Ukraine has convinced Western military officials of their importance for destroying command posts, transportation hubs and missile launchers far behind enemy lines. "The Russian army is bigger today than it was when they started the war in Ukraine," Major General John Rafferty said in an interview at a U.S. military base in Wiesbaden, Germany. "And we know that they're going to continue to invest in long-range rockets and missiles and sophisticated air defences. So more alliance capability is really, really important." The war in Ukraine has underscored Europe's heavy dependence on the United States to provide long-range missiles, with Kyiv seeking to strengthen its air defences. Rafferty recently completed an assignment as commander of the U.S. Army's 56th Artillery Command in the German town of Mainz-Kastel, which is preparing for temporary deployments of long-range U.S. missiles on European soil from 2026. At a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Monday, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius is expected to try to clarify whether such deployments, agreed between Berlin and Washington when Joe Biden was president, will go ahead now that Donald Trump is back in the White House. The agreement foresaw the deployment of systems including Tomahawk missiles with a range of 1,800 km and the developmental hypersonic weapon Dark Eagle with a range of around 3,000 km. Russia has criticised the planned deployment of longer-range U.S. missiles in Germany as a serious threat to its national security. It has dismissed NATO concerns that it could attack an alliance member and cited concerns about NATO expansion as one of its reasons for invading Ukraine in 2022. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore ST will have Govt's 'full confidence and support' in its mission to stay relevant: PM Wong Singapore ST will aim to become an indispensable partner to S'pore's communities: Editor Jaime Ho Singapore Heartbeats & Headlines: ST's 180-year legacy comes to life in immersive exhibition Singapore Trusted news, smarter experience with new Straits Times website and app Singapore Man who killed 5-year-old daughter gets life sentence after he appeals against 35-year jail term Singapore Judge declines to void alleged sham marriage in S'pore, says it is for Parliament to decide Business OCBC CEO Helen Wong to retire on Dec 31; Tan Teck Long named successor Singapore More than 14,300 people checked during 7-week-long anti-crime ops EUROPEAN PLANS Fabian Hoffmann, a doctoral research fellow at Oslo University who specialises in missiles, estimated that the U.S. provides some 90% of NATO's long-range missile capabilities. "Long-range strike capabilities are crucial in modern warfare," he said. "You really, really don't want to be caught in a position like Ukraine (without such weapons) in the first year (of the war). That puts you at an immediate disadvantage." Aware of this vulnerability, European countries in NATO have agreed to increase defence spending under pressure from Trump. Some European countries have their own long-range missiles but their number and range are limited. U.S. missiles can strike targets at a distance of several thousand km. Europe's air-launched cruise missiles, such as the British Storm Shadow, the French Scalp and the German Taurus, have a range of several hundred km. France's sea-launched Missile de Croisiere Naval (MdCN) can travel more than 1,000 km. They are all built by European arms maker MBDA which has branches in Britain, France, Germany and Italy. France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Britain and Sweden are now participating in a programme to acquire long-range, ground-launched conventional missiles known as the European Long-Range Strike Approach (ELSA). As part of the program, Britain and Germany announced in mid-May that they would start work on the development of a missile with a range of over 2,000 km. REUTERS
The Star
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Trump, Zelenskiy discuss weapons, escalating Russian strikes
An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 4, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he discussed air defences in a conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday, and agreed to work on increasing Kyiv's capability to "defend the sky" as Russian attacks escalate. He added in his account on Telegram that he discussed joint defence production, as well as joint purchases and investments with the U.S. leader. Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes. A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia's airstrikes and battlefield advances. Germany said it is in talks on buying Patriot air defence systems to bridge the gap. The conversation came a day after Trump said he had a disappointing call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Russia pummelled Kyiv with the largest drone attack of the war across the capital, hours after Trump's conversation with Putin on Thursday. Zelenskiy called the attack "deliberately massive and cynical." Trump spoke with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday, according to Spiegel magazine, citing government sources. The two leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine, including strengthening its air defences, as well as trade issues, Spiegel reported on Friday. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Tim Gardner and Max Hunder; Editing by Louise Heavens, Peter Graff and Sharon Singleton)
The Standard
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Standard
Russia's all-night drone attack on Kyiv injures 14, Ukraine says
An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 4, 2025. (REUTERS/Gleb Garanich)
The Star
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Russia's all-night drone attack on Kyiv injures 14, Ukraine says
An explosion of a drone lights up the sky over the city during a Russian drone and missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 4, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich KYIV (Reuters) -Russia pummelled Kyiv with drones in an all-night attack, injuring at least 14 people, damaging railway infrastructure and setting buildings and cars on fire throughout the city, authorities in the Ukrainian capital said early on Friday. More than eight hours into air raid alerts and just before they were called off at 5 a.m. (0200 GMT) Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that 12 of the injured were hospitalised. Damage was recorded in six of Kyiv's 10 districts on both sides of the Dnipro River bisecting the city and falling drone debris set a medical facility on fire in the leafy Holosiivskyi district, Klitschko said on the Telegram messaging app. The attacks were the latest in a series of Russian air strikes on Kyiv that have intensified in recent weeks and included some of the deadliest assaults of the war on the city of three million people. U.S. President Donald Trump said that a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday resulted in no progress at all on efforts to end the war in Ukraine, while the Kremlin reiterated that Moscow would keep pushing to solve the conflict's "root causes". A decision by Washington earlier this week to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensifying airstrikes and battlefield advances. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Thursday that he hopes to speak with Trump on Friday about the supply of U.S. weapons. Ukraine's state-owned railway Ukrzaliznytsia, the country's largest carrier, said on Telegram that the attack on Kyiv damaged railway infrastructure in the city, diverting a number of passenger trains and causing delays. In the hours to Friday morning, Reuters witnesses heard strings of explosions and constant barrages of fire in Kyiv as air defence units tried to down the drones. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv's military administration, said in a Telegram post that many of the targets had been dwellings. "At the same time, there is no end to the attacks," Tkachenko wrote on Telegram. "There are a great many targets over Kyiv. We are working on Russian drones in all districts." Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war that Russia launched with a full-scale invasion on Ukraine in February 2022. But thousands of civilians have died in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian. (Reporting by Olena Harmash, Pavel Polityuk, Valentyn Ogirenko, Sergiy Karazy; Writing by Ronald Popeski and Lidia Kelly; Editing by Stephen Coates)
