Russia’s military has pledged to retaliate after Ukraine launched airstrikes against Russian territory, allegedly using U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles.
The strikes targeted military sites in the southwestern Kursk region over the weekend, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, just days after the United States approved the use of these advanced weapons in Ukrainian operations within Russian borders.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that Ukraine carried out two separate missile strikes—one on Saturday and another on Monday. The first strike targeted the Vostochny airbase, injuring two Russian servicemen.
The second attack hit a radar system, causing additional damage and injuries. Moscow’s military claimed that air defenses intercepted the majority of the incoming missiles, downing three of five in the first attack and seven of eight in the second.
Photographs of missile fragments, said to be marked with English-language inscriptions, were released by the Russian Ministry to support their claims.
The missile strikes are seen as part of Ukraine’s broader efforts to pressure Russian military assets on its home soil, using the newly supplied ATACMS missiles, which are capable of hitting targets up to 190 miles away.
The U.S. decision to send these weapons, approved just one week ago, has provoked strong condemnation from Russia, which views the move as a direct provocation and an escalation of the conflict.
In a statement, Russia’s Defense Ministry warned that “retaliatory actions” were being prepared in response to the strikes.
This latest exchange comes amidst rising tensions following President Vladimir Putin’s recent decree that lowered the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons in the conflict, a move that many observers interpreted as a signal of Moscow’s willingness to escalate further.
Additionally, Putin recently ordered the launch of a hypersonic missile test against Ukraine, further demonstrating Russia’s intention to ramp up its military responses.
The ATACMS strikes represent the most significant Ukrainian assault on Russian soil since the war began, and their timing is critical, coming shortly after Western countries, particularly the U.S., have ramped up their military support for Kyiv.
U.S. officials have stressed that the decision to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles was meant to help Kyiv target Russian military infrastructure without directly escalating the conflict to a nuclear confrontation.
While Ukraine has not officially confirmed the use of ATACMS missiles for these specific strikes, the attacks have drawn attention to the increasing reliance on advanced weaponry in the war.
Western countries have emphasized that they are providing Ukraine with arms to defend itself from Russian aggression, but Russia sees these actions as fueling a dangerous escalation that could widen the conflict further.
The Kremlin has consistently warned that the use of long-range missiles to strike Russian territory could prompt devastating consequences.
In a statement issued following the attacks, Russian officials reaffirmed their belief that these actions, coupled with NATO’s support for Ukraine, constitute a grave provocation that risks turning the war into an even more volatile and unpredictable global conflict.
As the war intensifies, the prospect of further military escalation looms large, with both sides bracing for continued confrontations as Ukraine presses its offensive and Russia vows to defend its territory against what it calls foreign-backed aggression.
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