THE United States on Tuesday provided the first official confirmation that its long-range Army Tactical Missiles (ATACMS) were in use in Russia, as Europe absorbed the ramifications of Russia’s retaliatory response with an intermediate ballistic missile that could strike “anywhere in Europe”.
As the question of strategic escalation swirled around NATO capitals and Moscow, Russian forces continued a dogged advance through Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, seizing more villages.
“Right now, they are able to use ATACMS to defend themselves, you know, in an immediate-need basis,” White House national security spokesperson John Kirby told reporters. “And right now, you know, understandably, that’s taking place in and around Kursk, in the Kursk oblast.”
In a change of communications tactics, the Russian Ministry of Defence, too, acknowledged Ukrainian ATACMS strikes.
Moscow authorities have often fudged Ukrainian missile and drone hits, claiming “falling debris” from a destroyed incoming missile has struck infrastructure and inflamed it.
But on Tuesday Russia’s Defence Ministry acknowledged that ATACMS struck an S-400 air defence radar at Lotarevka on Saturday and the Khalino airfield on Monday. Both objects are about 90km (560 miles) from Ukrainian front-line positions in Kursk. Geolocated footage confirmed the hits.
The apparent reason for Russian acknowledgement is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s promise to retaliate as appropriate when ATACMS or other long-range weapons are used. Britain and France have licensed Ukraine to fire 200km-range (120-mile) SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles into Russia.
Russia fired a new type of intermediate-range ballistic missile at the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro last Thursday, in retaliation against the first ATACMS and Storm Shadow strikes earlier in the week.
The missile, dubbed Oreshnik and carrying six warheads, was aimed at a missile and aerospace factory. Ukrainian officials said it caused no serious damage.
