Ukraine launched US-made ATACMS missiles into Russia’s Bryansk region today, according to Russia’s Ministry of Defense, marking a significant intensification on the 1,000th day of the conflict.
The strike occurred just two days after the Biden administration authorised Kyiv to use the longer-range American missiles against targets within Russian borders, reports CNN.
Kyiv has not yet responded to the report. This marks the first instance where Ukraine has employed these extended-range American missiles to hit deep inside Russia, highlighting Kyiv’s swift utilization of its newly acquired capabilities.
At 3:25 a.m. local time (7:25 p.m. ET) on Tuesday, Ukraine fired six ballistic missiles at a facility in Bryansk, the ministry said, confirming that American-made ATACMS missiles were used in the attack.
Russian air defence systems claimed to have intercepted five of the missiles, while one was damaged. Fragments from the damaged missile fell on a military site, sparking a fire that was quickly extinguished. There were no reported casualties or substantial damage.
On Sunday, US President Joe Biden authorised Ukraine to use the longer-range American missiles within Russia, lifting a months-long restriction intended to assist Ukraine’s defense without sharply escalating the conflict.
The decision came at a crucial moment in the ongoing war. Russia continues to probe Ukraine’s eastern front while launching missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, targeting the nation’s power grid and attempting to weaponize the harsh winter conditions for the third consecutive year.
Meanwhile, thousands of North Korean soldiers have been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a bold counteroffensive during the summer.
In a press briefing yesterday, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller called the involvement of North Korean troops “a major escalation by Russia, bringing an Asian military into a European conflict.”
President Joe Biden has authorised the use of Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles by Ukraine, weapons that were previously restricted to use within Ukrainian territory. The US had earlier allowed limited use of High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) missiles within Russia.
The decision to permit the ATACMS missiles inside Russia had been under review for several months. US officials were divided over whether the move was prudent, with some expressing concerns about provoking a greater escalation and others worried about dwindling missile stockpiles.
Though Ukraine has frequently used domestically made drones to strike targets within Russia—sometimes deeper into the country than Bryansk—Moscow has consistently stated that employing long-range Western missiles would be a major escalation.
Following the missile strike early today, President Vladimir Putin updated Russia’s nuclear doctrine, just two days after Biden’s approval. Under the new doctrine, Russia would consider aggression from any non-nuclear state, supported by a nuclear power, as a joint attack on Russia.
However, throughout the conflict, Russia has frequently invoked the threat of nuclear retaliation in response to perceived provocations by Ukraine and its allies.
Earlier this year, after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that European forces could be sent to Ukraine, Putin ordered a tactical nuclear weapons drill in response to what he described as “threats” from the West.
For months, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized that “long-range capabilities for our army” are a vital part of his “Victory Plan” to conclude the war.
Responding to Biden’s approval on Sunday evening, Zelensky remarked, “Strikes are not carried out with words. Such things are not announced. Missiles will speak for themselves.”
