US officials confirmed that Ukraine attacked targets inside Russia using ATACMS missiles on Tuesday, according to multiple anonymous sources speaking to American outlets.
CNN reported that "Ukraine hit a Russian weapons arsenal with US-provided missiles that it used to strike across the border for the first time, according to two U.S. officials. Similar reports appeared in NPR and The New York Times but no further details were provided.
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The strikes come after months of negotiations with US President Joe Biden over the use of the weapons inside Russian territory. He greenlit their use on Sunday.
US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian Nichols said in an interview with the Brazilian news outlet O Globo that Ukraine's use of long-range missiles could force Russia into entering into peace talks.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky did not confirm whether the strike on a weapons arsenal near Bryansk was carried out using an ATACMS missile, but he stated that Ukraine had long-range capabilities and they would be used.
American Aid Essential for Ukraine
Ukraine “will lose” its war against Russia if the United States cuts military funding to Kyiv, Zelensky told Fox News on Tuesday.
“If they cut, we will – I think we will lose,” Zelensky said in an interview with the US television network. “We will fight. We have our production, but it's not enough to prevail. And I think it's not enough to survive,” he continued.
Ukraine Fires First Long-Range US Missiles into Russia, Kremlin Vows Response
US President-elect Donald Trump is a vocal skeptic of the billions that the Biden administration has given to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in 2022.
Trump has repeatedly promised to end the war quickly, but has not provided details of how he would do so. This week his allies voiced vehement criticism of Biden's decision to let Ukraine use US-supplied long-range missiles for attacks inside Russia, accusing him of a dangerous escalation.
Zelensky told Fox that “unity” between Ukraine and the United States was “most important.” Trump, he said, could influence Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, “because he is much more stronger than Putin.” The Kremlin “can be willing and end this war, but it also depends on the United States of America much more. Putin is weaker than the United States of America,” he said.
With Russia gaining ground and increasing talk of negotiations, Ukraine is wary of being at a disadvantage when it comes to hashing out a peace settlement.
Kremlin Preparing for Chemical Attacks
Russia has amped up the production of radiation-resistant mobile bomb shelters that were built to withstand a variety of high-impact dangers.
The “KUB-M” shelters can withstand up to 48 hours of protection against natural and chemical hazards, according to Russia’s Emergency Ministry Research Institute as reported by Reuters.
A maximum of 54 people can fit inside the mobile shelters, which are built out of reinforced shipping containers divided into two sections. They can withstand attacks from direct hits, falling debris, fire, and other perils, according to the institute. The containers can be expanded as needed.
The announcement comes just days after Biden gave Ukraine permission to strike into Russian territory with US-made long-range missiles for the first time on Sunday. The Kremlin quickly responded to the announcement with new threats for the US and NATO.
“It's obvious that the outgoing administration in Washington intends... to continue fuelling the fire and provoke a further escalation of tensions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. “Kyiv's use of long-range missiles to attack our territory would represent the direct involvement of the United States and its satellites in hostilities against Russia,” the ministry said in a statement, vowing an “appropriate and palpable” response.
Ukraine announced on Tuesday that it had already launched its first attacks using American long-range weapons into Russian territory.
The change is reportedly in response to North Korea deploying troops to help Moscow’s war effort.
The change could potentially affect other Western long-range weapons as well, such as the British Storm Shadow cruise missiles whose usage requires Washington’s authorization as they utilize elements of US technology covered by Washington’s International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
The news comes after a massive new Russian missile and drone attack on Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure that has already been condemned today by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen.
"With the entry into the war of North Korea troops and (Sunday's) massive attack of Russian missiles, President Biden responded in a language that (Russian President) V. Putin understands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski posted on X.
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