Ukrainian and U.S. officials have announced that Kyiv ordered the use of the MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) for the first time. Washington discreetly shipped a small number of ATACMS to Ukraine in recent days.
Kyiv long sought the coveted surface-to-surface missiles as a means to launch airstrikes far behind the front lines. The weapons platform has a range of approximately 100 miles.
The Ukrainian government reportedly used the missiles last night to strike Russian-occupied airfields near Berdyans'k and Luhansk.
The Wall Street Journal has more:
Ukraine's Special Operations Forces said the attacks caused dozens of Russian casualties and destroyed nine Russian helicopters, an air defense launcher and an ammunition depot. It said the military struck the two airfields after receiving intelligence that Russia was using them as a major base for aircraft, military hardware and ammunition in the occupied territories.
Ukraine hasn't officially confirmed the use of ATACMS. But in a speech posted to social media on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hinted at the use of the new weapons provided to Ukraine.
“I thank those who are destroying at scale the logistics and bases of the occupiers of our land. We have results,” he said. “I thank certain partners of ours: effective weapons, just as we agreed.”
Yuriy Ihnat, the spokesman for Ukraine's Air Force, said that long-range strikes against Russian air bases are a crucial part of Ukraine's broader strategy of weakening Russian forces as Ukraine continues its counteroffensive.
Russian sources confirmed several helicopter gunships were destroyed in the attack. Total Russian losses have not been independently verified.
Moscow had increasingly relied on helicopters operating from airfields that were previously located outside the range of Ukraine's air defenses.
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