Zhytomyr, Ukraine – Exactly 1000 days after Russia launched its full scale invasion of neighboring UkraineThe Russian Defense Ministry on Tuesday accused Ukrainian forces of firing six US-made and supplied ATACMS missiles at Russia’s Bryansk region. If confirmed, it could be the first time Ukrainian forces have taken advantage of the president Biden eases restrictions last weekend over Ukraine’s use of U.S.-made missiles to strike targets deeper within Russian territory.
The Ukrainian army said it struck a Russian weapons depot in Bryansk overnight, but did not say what weapons were used. US officials confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday that US-supplied ATACMS had been used on targets in Russia.
In a statement carried by state media, Russia’s Defense Ministry said the army had shot down five ATACMS fired by Ukraine and damaged another. The reports said fragments had fallen on or near a military facility and some of the rubble had caused a fire, but the ministry said there was no damage or casualties.
An infographic shows the range and other details of the US-made ATACMS missiles delivered to Ukraine. /Credit: Murat Usubali/Anadolu/Getty
The strike in Bryansk came hours after another Ukrainian residential area was left charred and smoking. Ukrainian officials said 10 people were killed Monday in a Russian drone and missile attack on the southern city of Odessa.
The strike came a day after another attack on the power grid in Odesa, which also destroyed several houses.
With Biden finally giving Ukraine the long-sought permission to fire ATACMS – which have a range of about 300 kilometers – deeper into Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces had a new option to take revenge for the latest massacre.
People look at an apartment building hit by a Russian missile strike in Odesa, Ukraine, November 18, 2024. / Credit: Ukrinform/NurPhoto/Getty
However, Russia has accused the US of adding fuel to the fire.
In September, President Vladimir Putin warned that if the US allowed Ukraine to use ATACMS in its country, it would mean the US and its NATO allies would be at war with Russia.
Putin has yet to respond directly to Mr Biden’s weekend decision, but lawmakers in Moscow were furious on Monday’s measure, including one senator calling it “a very big step toward starting World War III.”
Neither side has confirmed the death toll during the war, but the Ukrainian military paid a heavy price for its efforts to defend the country against the invasion, which is believed to have killed around 70,000 troops. According to US officials, more than 100,000 soldiers from Russia – a country with a population more than three times that of Ukraine – have been killed.
Col. Maksym Balagura, commander of special forces at Ukraine’s Border Guard, acknowledged the huge difference in size when CBS News asked him if his country was short of manpower. He said it is “not possible to compare Russia and Ukraine… Their country is 10 times bigger than ours, and of course they have more manpower.”
But with the grueling ground and air war showing no signs of letting up, the Russian military has already done so supported by more than 10,000 North Korean soldiersThis is what Ukrainian, South Korean and American officials say.
Zelensky warned on Tuesday that the North Korean contingent supporting Russian forces could grow to 100,000 as the two Western adversaries deepen their security ties.
Ukraine is using US long-range missiles in attacks on Russian territory, officials confirm
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