NPR News

The U.S. confirms Ukraine fired long-range ATACMS into Russia for the 1st time

By Charles Maynes

Published November 19, 2024 at 9:02 AM EST

In this image provided by the U.S. Army, soldiers, from the 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment of the 18th Field Artillery Brigade out of Fort Bragg N.C., conduct live fire testing at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., on Dec. 14, 2021, of early versions of the Army Tactical Missile System.

Updated November 19, 2024 at 16:39 PM ET

MOSCOW — Ukraine fired a series of ATACMS missiles inside Russia, marking the first attack using the U.S.-made longer-range weapons in 1,000 days of war.

The U.S. official, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, told NPR that Ukraine fired seven U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System into Russia, striking a weapons depot near the town of Karachev, in Russia's Bryansk region, about 70 miles from Ukraine. The official said Russia shot down two of the missiles.

In this image provided by the U.S. Army, U.S. Army Sgt. Ian Ketterling, gunner for Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, prepares the crane for loading the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) on to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) in Queensland, Australia, on July 26, 2023.

Earlier Tuesday, Russia's Defense Ministry said Ukrainian forces fired six ATACMS into Russia, and that Russian air defense systems destroyed five of the missiles mid-flight and damaged a sixth, whose fragments started a small fire on the ground. No injuries were reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not confirmed an attack but told reporters: Ukraine has long-range capabilities, there are long-range drones of its own production, we now have a long 'Neptune' [Ukrainian cruise missile] and more than one. And now we have ATACMS, and we will use all this." Social media channels associated with the Ukrainian military mentioned an attack on a Russian arsenal near Karachev, but didn't provide details.

The barrage came two days after the news, reported by NPR and other outlets, that the Biden administration lifted restrictions on Ukraine's use of sophisticated long-range Western weaponry to target inside Russia. Ukraine had lobbied Washington for months to get permission to use the ATACMS.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday, if the media reports were true, that the White House decision would spark a "new spiral of tensions" with Washington.

In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine's military was incapable of deploying sophisticated long-range weapons without direct input from NATO specialists. So if Ukraine strikes deep inside Russia, he said, "This will mean that NATO countries — the United States and European countries — are at war with Russia."

Russia ups the nuclear ante

Also on Tuesday, Putin signed a decree updating Russia's nuclear doctrine — in effect, expanding its options for carrying out a nuclear strike.

The new doctrine, which Putin announced in September, will consider a conventional-weapons attack by a nonnuclear state that's supported by a nuclear-armed nation as a joint attack on Russia, which could meet the conditions for a nuclear response.

That sends a warning to Ukraine, the United States and other nuclear-armed backers.

Both the news of possible Ukrainian strikes and Russia's updated nuclear doctrine come about two months before President-elect Donald Trump is to take the oath of office in Washington.

In his campaign for the presidency, Trump criticized the amount of U.S. aid for Ukraine and has pushed for a quick, negotiated end to Russia's war in Ukraine.