Ukraine uses US-provided long-range ATACMS missiles against Russian forces for the first time
- The news comes as Kyiv’s forces claim to have destroyed 9 helicopters and other military equipment at two airfields in Russia-occupied regions
- The delivery of the Army Tactical Missile System was shrouded in secrecy, a marked change from previous US weapons sent by the Biden administration
The United States has quietly delivered the long-range ballistic missiles that Ukraine said it urgently needed and that President Joe Biden promised last month, US officials said on Tuesday, and Ukraine has already begun using them on the battlefield against Russia for the first time.
Russia’s ambassador to the US called Washington’s decision a “grave mistake”.
The missiles arrived in Ukraine within the last few days, one of the officials said. Their delivery to the war front gives Ukraine a critical ability to strike Russian targets that are farther away, allowing Ukrainian forces to stay safely out of range.
The officials were not authorised to publicly discuss the matter before an official announcement and spoke on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Tuesday that Kyiv had used the US-provided weapons.
“Today, special thanks to the United States. Our agreements with President Biden are being implemented. Very accurately – ATACMS missiles proved themselves,” he said in his nightly address.