Ukraine Fires US-Made Longer-Range Missiles Into Russia

Ukraine has reportedly launched U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles into Russia’s Bryansk region, according to the Russian Defence Ministry.

The strike, which occurred on the 1,000th day of the war, represents a significant escalation just two days after the Biden administration authorized Kyiv to use the long-range missiles on Russian territory.

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The attack marks the first known use of these advanced American weapons by Ukraine to hit deep inside Russian borders. Kyiv has yet to comment on the strike. The swift utilization of the ATACMS missiles underscores Ukraine’s urgency in leveraging its newly expanded capabilities.

At 3:25 a.m. local time Tuesday (7:25 p.m. ET Monday), six ballistic missiles were fired at a facility in Bryansk, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed. It added that five missiles were intercepted, and a sixth was damaged, with fragments causing a fire at a military site that has since been extinguished. No casualties or significant damage were reported.

On Sunday, U.S. President Joe Biden lifted restrictions on Ukraine’s use of these weapons, a decision aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s defensive capacity while acknowledging the potential for heightened tensions.

The timing is critical, as Russia continues to intensify its offensive in eastern Ukraine and carries out widespread missile and drone strikes, targeting Ukraine’s infrastructure as winter approaches. This marks the third consecutive year of attempts to weaponize freezing conditions against the Ukrainian population.

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Compounding the situation, thousands of North Korean troops have reportedly been deployed to Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces launched a counteroffensive earlier this year.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller described North Korea’s involvement as “a major escalation by Russia,” noting that it introduces an Asian military presence into a European conflict.

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