Media reports amount of ATACMS missiles under Kiev’s control exposed

(MENAFN) The Ukrainian military is believed to have received approximately 50 ATACMS missiles from the United States, according to *The Times*, though the Pentagon has not officially disclosed the exact number. Ukraine’s forces are equipped with a significant number of HIMARS and MLRS systems capable of firing the long-range ATACMS missiles, with the first launchers arriving shortly after the conflict with Russia escalated in 2022. However, the limited supply of these missiles means Ukrainian commanders will have to carefully consider their target choices inside Russia.

On Tuesday, Russia's Defense Ministry reported that Ukraine launched six ATACMS missiles into the Bryansk region, five of which were intercepted by air defense systems, and the sixth was damaged, hitting the ground near a military base. The issue of authorizing Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles for strikes on Russian soil had been under discussion at the White House for over two years. On Sunday, *The New York Times* confirmed that U.S. President Joe Biden had lifted the restrictions, a move later verified by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also claimed that other Western nations had followed suit in permitting Ukraine to target Russian territory with long-range missiles.

While U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Jonathan Finer declined to confirm the authorization, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that such actions would escalate the conflict, making NATO a direct participant. Putin also updated Russia's nuclear doctrine to allow for a strategic nuclear response to conventional attacks by a nuclear power's proxy.

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