Ukrainian Armed Forces launched US-donated ATACMS missiles to attack Russian territory for the first time, the RBK-Ukraine portal reported quoting a military source. According to the source, the target was successfully destroyed.

The source informed that the Ukrainian rockets hit a military facility near the town of Karachev in Russia’s Bryansk oblast. 

“Indeed, this was the first time that ATACMS was used to attack Russian territory,” the source said. 

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian army struck a weapons depot near the town of Karachev in the Bryansk region on Monday night. The head of the Centre for Countering Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, reported that the target was an artillery munitions depot with North Korean arms.

The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed in its statement that MGM-140 ATACMS missiles were used, five of the six of which were shot down by S-400 and Pancyr-S1 crews, and that the effects of the hit were quickly contained and there were no casualties.

Sources in the US administration unofficially confirmed the Ukrainian Armed Forces were given the “green light” to use long-range missiles to attack the targets on Russian territory. 

The enthusiasts of that decision say it should have been decided even two years ago so Ukraine could effectively combat the Russian invasion forces. 

Meanwhile, the son of the US President-Elect, Donald Trump Jr. said the move was a step by military-industrial towards “World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives”.

According to the Polish news website Defence24, in 2022, the cost of one ATACMS missile stands at approximately $1.5 million. These missiles are a key component of the HIMARS and MRLS ballistic missile artillery armament used by the US and Australian armed forces and other countries under the Foreign Military Sales programme. The high price is due to the advanced technology and precision these ground-to-ground ballistic missiles offer.

Source: PAP, Defence24

Photo: @DenisDanilovL

Tomasz Modrzejewski