Ukraine fired a long-range missile supplied by the United States into a Russian region early on Tuesday, Russia’s Ministry of Defense said.
According to Moscow, Ukraine used the Army Tactical Missile System supplied by the U.S. in a strike on the region of Bryansk in Russia on Tuesday morning local time.
This weekend, the U.S. Administration gave Ukraine the green light to use U.S.-manufactured long-range missiles to strike Russian territory.
Russia has warned repeatedly that such a move by Washington would constitute a significant escalation in the war.
The move also opens the door for the UK and France to approve the use of their long-range missiles, according to analysts.
Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister said on Monday “I’ve been really clear for a long time now, we need to double down.”
Following the Biden Administration’s move, the UK is expected to supply Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine for targets in Russia, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
The Ukrainian strike on Tuesday used the ATACMS missiles for the first time, Ukrainian outlet RBC-Ukraine reported, citing an informed source within the Defense Forces.
The strike targeted a military facility near the city of Karachev in the Bryansk region, RBC-Ukraine’s source said. The attack was aimed at the 67th Arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
“Indeed, for the first time, we used ATACMS to strike Russian territory. The strike was carried out against a facility in the Bryansk region, and it was successfully hit,” RBC-Ukraine quoted its source as saying.
As of early Tuesday ET, there was no official confirmation from Ukraine that it had launched ATACMS missiles at targets in Russia.
The U.S. consent for Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles on targets in Russia comes two months before the inauguration of the 47th U.S. President, Donald Trump, who has boasted he could end the war soon.
