Kremlin has acknowledged that Ukraine struck its air bases with US-supplied ATACMS long-range missile in Kursk region after Biden administration authorized Kyiv’s use of such weapons in strikes deep into Russia.
In a statement released on November 27, the ministry said Russian S-400 air-defence missile battalion was targeted in the Ukrainian attack that was launched at Lotarevka, 37 km northwest of Kursk region on November 23. Ukrainian troops fired five ATACMS at the area, with three of them shot down. The other two missiles hit the positions of an S-400 surface-to-air missile division. "The strike damaged a radar. There are casualties among the personnel," the Defense Ministry said.
The ministry said another ATACMS missiles was launched on Vostochny airbase in Kursk region on November 25. Seven of the missiles were allegedly shot down, while one missile hitting the target, injuring several Russian soldiers and damaging infrastructure. The Russian Defence Ministry said retaliatory strikes would be delivered on Ukraine.
Last week saw unprecedented escalation in the war in Ukraine with Russia launching experimental ballistic missile on Ukraine’s Dnipro city on November 21 in the first case of such weapon’s usage. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the attack was in response to Ukraine’s strikes deep into Russia with the use of Western-supplied long-range missiles ATACMS and Storm Shadow.
