After Washington recently approved such operations, Russia says Ukraine has launched long-range missiles from the United States into its territory.
According to Moscow’s Ministry of Defense, Ukraine conducted an Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) attack on the Bryansk region of Russia this morning.
Five missiles were intercepted, one was damaged, and the statement said that pieces of the damaged missile caused a fire at a military installation in the Bryansk area.
After Washington warned Ukraine to do so, the strike represents the first time long-range missiles have been used on Russia’s internationally recognized territory. Russia has responded by promising to “react properly.”
For more than a year, Ukraine has been utilizing ATACMS in regions of its territory that are under Russian occupation.
The missiles are thought to be challenging to intercept and have a maximum range of 300 kilometers (186 miles).
With the missiles, Kyiv may now aim farther into Russian territory, including the Kursk region, which is occupied by Ukrainian forces and covers an area of more than 1,000 square kilometers. According to reports, Ukrainian and American officials are expecting a counteroffensive in the area.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the strike happened at 03:25 local time (00:25 GMT). There were no reported deaths, and the fire started by debris from one of the rockets was quickly put out.
The Ukrainian military acknowledged that it had struck a munitions storage in the Bryansk region of Russia, but it did not say if ATACMS missiles were used in the assault.
Targeting a depot around 100 kilometers from the border, close to the town of Karachev, the strike set off 12 secondary explosions, according to the military.
President Vladimir Putin authorized changes to Russia’s nuclear strategy earlier Tuesday, which include new circumstances in which the nation may think about using its nuclear weapons.
According to the revised doctrine, a non-nuclear state attack will be considered a joint attack on Russia if it is backed by a nuclear power.