Moscow Vows Retaliation After Fresh Ukrainian ATACMS Missile Strikes

November 26, 2024, Moscow – Moscow’s military has vowed to take retaliatory action after Ukraine launched fresh air attacks inside Russian territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles. The strikes, which took place on November 23 and 25, mark the latest escalation in the ongoing conflict, with Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles into Russian territory intensifying tensions.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that Ukraine had used the ATACMS missiles to target key military sites in Russia, including an air base and air defense systems. In a statement posted on Telegram, the ministry pledged to prepare “retaliatory actions,” though it provided no further details. The strikes have reportedly caused significant damage to Russian military hardware and resulted in some casualties. The Kursk Vostochny air base was hit, leaving two Russian servicemen injured, while a separate strike on an air defense battery damaged radar equipment and caused additional casualties.

In a rare admission of the strikes’ effectiveness, Moscow acknowledged that some of the missiles had reached their targets, despite Russia’s defense systems intercepting a number of the incoming projectiles. The defense ministry stated that three of the five missiles fired in the first attack were destroyed, while seven out of eight in the second strike were intercepted.

The images of missile fragments, released by Russia, show English-language inscriptions on the missile casings, further confirming their US origin. However, AFP has been unable to independently verify these photos.

The use of ATACMS missiles is a significant development in the conflict, as the United States had only granted Ukraine permission to use these long-range weapons on Russian soil earlier this month after months of requests from Kyiv. Moscow’s response to the escalation is likely to further exacerbate the already high tensions between the two countries, which have been in a state of war for nearly three years.

Adding to the mounting pressure, Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signed a decree lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, just days before launching the nuclear-capable hypersonic Oreshnik missile at Ukraine. The move reflects the increasingly volatile nature of the conflict and signals a potential shift in Russia’s military strategy.