US secretly gives Kyiv long-range missiles

Ukraine has begun using long-range ballistic missiles secretly provided by the US against invading Russian forces, American officials have confirmed.

The weapons were part of a $300m (£240m) aid package approved by US President Joe Biden in March and they arrived this month.

They have already been used at least once to strike Russian targets in occupied Crimea, US media report.

Mr Biden has now signed a new $61bn package of aid for Ukraine.

The US previously supplied Ukraine with a mid-range version of the Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) but had been reluctant to send anything more powerful, partly over concerns about compromising US military readiness.

However, Mr Biden is said to have secretly given the green light to send the long-range system - which can fire missiles distances of up to 300km (186 miles) - in February.

"I can confirm that the United States provided Ukraine with long-range ATACMS at the president's direct direction," state department spokesman Vedant Patel said.

The US "did not announce this at the onset in order to maintain operational security for Ukraine at their request", he added.

It is not clear how many of the weapons have already been sent, but US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said Washington planned to send more.