Russia threatens retaliation after shooting down Ukrainian ATACMS missiles
(MENAFN) Russia has threatened revenge after asserting that it shot down eight ATACMS missiles fired by Ukraine on Saturday morning that were manufactured in the US.
Such missiles have a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles), and Moscow views their employment as a significant escalation.
Russia's Ministry of Defense reported that the eight ballistic missiles and seventy-two aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were destroyed by the nation's air defenses. It added that “these actions by the Kyiv regime, which is supported by Western curators, will be met with retaliation.”
According to the statement, a number of drones were destroyed near Kursk, where Ukraine launched a surprise offensive late last summer, and in the northwest Leningrad area.
In November, departing US President Joe Biden gave Kyiv permission to employ ATACMS, citing Russia's deployment of North Korean forces as a contributing factor.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to use Russia's new nuclear-capable ballistic missile, the "Oreshnik," in retaliation for Ukrainian strikes utilizing ATACMS.
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