What the June 2022 rocket pledges meant for Kyiv's allies
On 1 June 2022 Washington and London committed long-range rocket artillery to Ukraine, while Russian missiles hit a rail line carrying Western supplies.
What did allied governments commit to Ukraine on 1 June 2022, and why did it matter? The day brought two linked decisions on long-range rocket artillery, set against a Russian strike on a key supply route.
On 31 May 2022, US President Joe Biden announced an 11th package of military assistance, including more advanced rocket systems and munitions, among them High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). The stated aim was to help Ukraine strike key targets more precisely. NATO said it did not expect Russia to respond to the decision.
On 1 June 2022, the details emerged. Biden agreed to provide long-range rocket artillery after Ukraine reportedly gave assurances that it would not use the systems to strike Russian cities. The weapons were part of a new $700 million package that also included ammunition, counter-fire radars, a number of air surveillance radars and additional Javelin anti-tank missiles.
The same day, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the United Kingdom had agreed to send more M270 multiple-launch rocket systems to Ukrainian forces and to train them to use the weapons. The two announcements showed the allies moving in step on the same class of weapon, with training offered alongside the hardware.
A strike on the supply line
Also on 1 June 2022, Russian cruise missiles hit a railway station near the Beskyd Tunnel in the Carpathians for the second time, wounding two people. Anton Herashchenko, an adviser to the interior minister, said the strike aimed to halt rail traffic and stop deliveries of fuel and weapons from Ukraine's allies.
Taken together, the day's events showed how the supply chain had become part of the war. Allies were pledging more capable weapons, while Russia was targeting a rail route that Ukrainian officials linked to the delivery of fuel and arms.
Conditions attached
The reported assurance on Russian cities was a notable condition of the US decision. It meant the new systems came with a stated limit on their use, agreed before the weapons were provided. The British pledge, by contrast, was reported with an emphasis on additional launchers and instruction for Ukrainian crews.
