Washington is close to a deal in which it will give Kyiv long-range cruise missiles that can strike deep into Russia, Paralel.Az reports citing Reuters.

Unnamed officials cited by Reuters said that Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSMs) will be part of a weapons package that is expected to be announced this fall, pending a final decision.

Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, a former commander of the U.S. Army Europe, who has repeatedly called for Washington to commit to providing Kyiv with long-range weapons, welcomed the prospect of the missiles being given to Ukraine, but pointed out there had already been too much of a delay.

"I'm glad that they're considering it, but it highlights the utter failure to deliver these capabilities more than two years ago," he told Newsweek.