US-made ATACMS cluster missiles could give Ukraine's HIMARS the power to punish Russia's artillery and 'cut off' its army, former US artillery officer says

• Washington will send Ukraine much-sought-after ATACMS, tactical long-range missiles, according to multiple reports.
• One variant that could help Kyiv is the M39 cluster missile, which has nearly 1,000 submunitions.
• A former US artillery officer says these weapons can hammer Russian artillery and isolate portions of its army.

Ukrainian forces are increasingly using long-range cruise missiles to pound high-value Russian positions far behind the war's front lines. It has only a limited supply of these weapons, but Kyiv has its eyes set on the US-provided MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to help it keep up the pressure on high-value targets in the rear.