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Ukraine is buying 70 American-made ATACMS ballistic missiles and 12 M270 rocket launchers from Turkey, along with other munitions, as it contends with critical shortages.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: If you’re unaware, ATACMS are tactical ballistic missiles produced by Lockheed Martin, designed for ground launch. They rely on inertial navigation with laser gyroscopes, allowing flights of roughly 100 miles without GPS updates. The Biden administration delivered the first ATACMS to Ukraine in 2023, followed by extended-range variants in 2024, with permission to strike Russia granted in November 2024. Ukraine has used these missiles very limitedly in the past year due to low stockpiles and the cessation of large-scale US funding and transfers under the Trump administration, forcing Ukraine to seek supplies from other sources.

What’s going on now: On August 3, the State Department issued a third-party transfer notification to legislators, allowing Turkey to transfer U.S.-origin equipment from its stock. In addition to missiles and launch systems, the shipment includes 2,524 M26 227mm rockets with DPICM warheads and 47,000 M509A1 203mm cluster rounds for 2S7 Pion and M110 self-propelled artillery. The transfer is scheduled to start later this month and will involve contractors from Turkey, Bulgaria, and the United States.

The document states that Turkey aims to “decrease its stock of older defense items in order to channel funds toward upgrading and maintaining current systems.” For Ukraine, the goal is to “enhance its ability to provide fire support for both attack and defense as it counters the Russian aggression,” with the department noting that the proposed sale “aligns with U.S. security assistance goals.”

Since the equipment originates from the United States, the Arms Export Control Act mandates a congressional review for any transaction exceeding $14 million, and this agreement is valued at approximately $280 million. The approval process does not involve a formal vote and will proceed automatically unless both the House and Senate pass a joint resolution to halt it, which is considered improbable.

Ukraine is receiving ammunition while urgently needing more interceptors to counter Russian missiles and drones. During a public event in Belgrade on Saturday beside Serbian leader Aleksandar Vučić, Zelensky stated that Kyiv has secured a consistent monthly supply of Patriot systems from the United States, though the 2026 quantity will be lower than in the previous year, and he withheld specific numbers for protective reasons.

Ukraine is now urging European nations to use missiles from their own military reserves, as the goal of producing them locally has been abandoned.