Ukraine uses US-supplied ATACMS for the first time

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Ukraine had used a long-range missile supplied by the United States for the first time.

His comments followed reports that a weapon known as ATACMS destroyed nine helicopters at a Russian base in the country's east. Ukraine has not confirmed that the missile was used.

Ukraine said targets attacked in Berdyansk and Luhansk included air defense systems and other equipment.

Dozens of Russian soldiers were killed or wounded in the operation, he added.

"ATACMS worked very accurately. ATACMS has proven itself," Zelenskiy said in an evening address posted on social media, without going into details about when or where it was used.

The Russian military has not commented.

The Biden administration had previously refused to provide ATACMS to Ukraine, but decided to do so quietly "in recent weeks," US media outlet CNN reported, citing two US officials.

The paper said the US wanted to surprise Moscow in case Russia moved equipment and weapons out of reach before the projectiles were used.

According to the Associated Press, the range of the missile provided to Ukraine will be shorter than the system's maximum range due to concerns over tensions with Russia.

The variant delivered to Kiev is equipped with a cluster munition, which releases hundreds of small bombs from the air, rather than a single warhead, the Associated Press reported.

Cluster munitions are controversial and have been banned in more than 100 states due to the threat they pose to civilians.

Vladimir Rogov, the Russian-appointed governor of the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, said air defense systems "successfully intercepted enemy rockets" over Berdyansk, adding that information on casualties and damage was still being confirmed. , it added, will be available in the future.

However, unverified videos on pro-Russian social media accounts, said to have been shot in Berdyansk, show explosions and rockets, while voices can be heard explaining that an ammunition depot was attacked. ing.

Another Russian blogger wrote about the attack on the airfield by ATACMS rockets, inflicting what the author described as a "severe blow" and resulting in the loss of personnel and technology.

ATACMS was not listed on the list of military aid to Kiev released by the United States in September.

However, unidentified photos posted on social media on Tuesday suggest that the Russian base was attacked using ATACMS' early MGM-140A variant. ATACMS is a short-range version of the weapon family with a range of approximately 100 miles (160 km).

In particular, the contract number stamped on the side indicates a missile contract that was scheduled to be completed by 1997.

Kiev's acquisition of the ATACMS system represents a significant increase in its ability to strike deep into Russian-occupied territory.

According to the Ukrainian military, the attack on Berdyansk occurred at 4 a.m. local time (1 a.m. Japan time), and the attack on Luhansk occurred at 11 a.m. local time.

Berdyansk is approximately 85 kilometers (53 miles) from the nearest front line and is of strategic importance due to its location between Mariupol and Crimea. Luhansk is about 100 kilometers from the front line.

Clashes continue to be reported along the front lines, including around the Ukrainian-held towns of Avdiivka, Kupyansk and Ryman, which have come under heavy Russian shelling in recent days.

Ukrainian emergency services say two people are believed to have been trapped under the rubble after a dormitory building was destroyed in a Russian attack on the eastern city of Slovyansk.

In Odessa, authorities said debris from a downed Russian drone damaged a yacht club and several yachts, but there were no casualties.

Ukraine is trying to take back Russian-occupied territory in the east and south of the country through a large-scale counteroffensive, but progress has been slow so far.

It also frequently conducts air raids on Russian positions with the aim of weakening Russia's war effort.

Russia has also been attacking Ukrainian positions around Avdiivka and Kupyansk in the east, with Ukrainian reports saying there have been heavy casualties in recent days.

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