Outgoing US President Joe Biden has authorized Kyiv to use long-range weapons against Russia.
Russia has promised to retaliate after claiming to have intercepted eight US-supplied ATACMS missiles fired by Ukraine towards the Belgorod region of its border.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, “On January 3, an attempt was made from Ukrainian territory to launch a missile attack on the Belgorod region using US-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles.”
The ministry further stated, “These actions by the Kyiv regime, supported by Western powers, will face consequences.” It was confirmed that all eight missiles were successfully shot down.
The ministry announced earlier that the air defense system had intercepted a total of eight ATACMS missiles, failing to disclose the specific timing or location.
Ukrainian officials have yet to respond to these allegations.
The ATACMS system has a range of 300km (190 miles) and was developed in the 1980s.
Last year, President Biden permitted Kyiv to use long-range weapons against Russia, a decision criticized by the Kremlin as a significant escalation of the ongoing conflict. Additional security assistance for Ukraine is expected to be announced in the following days, as stated by White House spokesperson John Kirby.
In contrast, President-elect Donald Trump expressed strong opposition to Ukraine’s usage of these arms, labeling it as an escalation of the conflict.
Aside from military aid from the US, reports suggest that Ukraine will soon receive its first French Mirage 2000-5F multirole fighters this month.
President Putin had previously warned of targeting central Kyiv with a hypersonic ballistic missile if Ukraine continued attacking Russian territory using Western long-range weapons.
Both Kyiv and Moscow have exchanged accusations of fatal attacks on civilians since the beginning of the year.
A recent Russian attack in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region resulted in the death of a 74-year-old man, as reported by regional Governor Oleg Synegubov.
In the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine, a Russian assault left at least three individuals, including two children, injured. The area, bordering Russia’s Kursk region, has faced consistent shelling from Russian forces over several months.
Russian forces have targeted the Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk to restrict supply routes to Ukraine’s troops, according to the Ukrainian military.
President Zelenskyy acknowledged Russia’s use of drones and missiles against Ukrainian targets, emphasizing the need to strengthen the country’s air defense systems.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to travel to South Korea, Japan, and France for his final diplomatic engagements before the end of his term. Discussions in Paris are expected to revolve around European security and the conflict in Ukraine.
