The Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday confirmed that Ukrainian forces fired US-provided ATACMS missiles into Russian territory a day earlier.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukraine fired the ATACMS at the southern Russian city of Voronezh, while the Ukrainian military said that it struck a military target. “Russian S-400 air defence crews and Pantsir missile and gun systems shot down all ATACMS missiles,” the Russian Defense Ministry wrote on Telegram.
According to Reuters, the ministry said the debris from the downed ATACMS damaged a retirement home, an orphanage, and a house in Voronezh, but there were no casualties. The ministry shared photos of the remnants of the downed US-made missiles.
ATACMS have a range of about 190 miles, and the Ukrainian military requires US targeting data to fire them. Ukraine was first given the green light to use the missiles in strikes on Russian territory by the Biden administration toward the end of 2024.
According to media reports, the Trump administration had been blocking Ukraine’s use of ATACMS in strikes on Russian territory but recently reversed the policy. Last month, the Ukrainian military said it struck a chemical plant inside Russia using British-provided Storm Shadow missiles, which also require US targeting data.
Following the Ukrainian ATACMS attack, the Russian military unleashed a heavy missile and drone attack across Ukraine, with heavy strikes hitting western Ukraine. According to Ukrainian officials, Russian strikes that hit the western city of Ternopil killed 25 people, including three children, marking the deadliest day in western Ukraine of the war. Ukraine’s air force said that Russia fired a total of 476 armed and decoy drones and 48 missiles into Ukraine on Wednesday.
