Egypt Daily News - A report published by the American CNN network, on Wednesday, stated that the United States secretly transferred long-range missiles to Ukraine capable of targeting areas within Russia, which the Biden administration had previously been reluctant to supply to Kiev.

“Biden secretly approved the transfer of long-range ATACMS missiles in February for use within Ukrainian territory,” the report said, citing Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Garon Garn. 

“The ATACMS were then quietly included in the $300 million aid package announced on March 12 and ultimately delivered to Ukraine earlier this month,” he added.

“It was not announced that we were providing Ukraine with this new capability at that time in order to maintain Ukraine's operational security at their request,” Garn said, deferring questions about its use to the Ukrainian military.

The United States officially later announced that it had sent long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine “during this month,” even before the US Congress approved a new aid package for Kiev on Tuesday.

US State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said that this shipment was sent "at the direct request of President" Joe Biden in February, adding that the missiles, which were part of the latest aid package sent to Kiev on March 12, "arrived in Ukraine during the current month."

More missiles are expected to be included in the new military aid package announced by the Pentagon on Wednesday after Biden signed into law an aid package providing nearly $61 billion in aid to Ukraine after months of delays in Congress.

The military aid package includes vehicles, the Stinger air defense missile system, additional ammunition for high-mobility artillery missile systems, 155-mm artillery ammunition, TOW and Gavlin anti-tank missiles, and other weapons that can be used immediately on the battlefield.