August 24, 2025
Pentagon blocks Ukraine long-range strikes inside Russia
Military brass blocks Ukraine defense against presidential orders
🛡️National Security📜Constitutional Law🌍Foreign Policy🏛️Government
Pentagon Undersecretary Elbridge Colby designed an approval system requiring Defense Secretary Hegseth's permission for every Ukrainian ATACMS strike inside Russia, confirmed Aug. 24, 2025
The review system covers U.S.-made ATACMS and European long-range weapons that require American technical support for effective targeting
Ukraine was rebuffed on at least one occasion when requesting ATACMS strikes against Russian military targets inside Russia
The Pentagon approval process contradicts civilian control principles where elected officials set foreign policy and military implements orders
President Zelensky directly appealed for long-range strike permissions while Pentagon bureaucracy blocked the requests without public explanation
Ukraine develops domestic weapons like the FP-1 drone and Flamingo cruise missile designed to strike Russian territory without requiring U.S. approval
Congress appropriates Ukraine military aid funds but lacks oversight of Pentagon targeting restrictions imposed through executive branch bureaucracy
🛡️National Security📜Constitutional Law🌍Foreign Policy🏛️Government
Test Your Knowledge
10
Q1
Who is the current U.S. Secretary of Defense responsible for overseeing the high-level review process, established by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, that requires Defense Secretary approval for each Ukrainian request to use U.S.-supplied ATACMS long-range missiles against targets inside Russia?
Q2
Which British-produced long-range missile system, whose effectiveness depends on U.S. targeting data, is also subject to the Pentagon's weapons review process?
Q3
In his August 21, 2025 Truth Social post, how did President Trump describe Ukraine’s restricted ability to go on the offensive?
Q4
Which Ukrainian-made cruise missile system, first publicly revealed by President Volodymyr Zelensky on August 17, 2025, and slated for mass production starting December 2025, allows Kyiv to strike Russian targets without requiring Pentagon approval?
Q5
What is the approximate range of U.S.-supplied ATACMS that Ukraine has been barred from using against targets inside Russia?
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