Russian Foreign Minister: Ukraine’s launch of ATACMS marks a new phase of conflict

“ATACMS missiles were launched several times tonight targeting Bryansk province. This is clearly a signal that the West wants to escalate,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on November 19. “We will consider this a new phase in the nature of the West’s war on Russia.”

Mr. Lavrov accused Washington of supporting Kiev in operating missiles. “We rely on the fact that we cannot use any ATACMS missile without American experts participating, including the steps of loading satellite data and programming targets. Long-range missile that Ukraine launched into Russia under the control of American military experts,” the Russian Foreign Minister commented. “We will respond accordingly.”

The US has not commented on the Russian Foreign Minister’s assessment.

Mr. Lavrov made the statement after the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Ukraine launched 6 ATACMS ballistic missiles into the border province of Bryansk on November 19. Russia said air defenses shot down five missiles and damaged one projectile, with debris falling on a military facility and causing a fire. There were no casualties or damage in the raid.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said it attacked the Russian weapons depot in the town of Karachev in Bryansk province, about 110 km from the border, and detected 12 secondary explosions after the attack. Ukraine did not publicly disclose what projectile they used, but Ukrainian and US official sources confirmed it Reuters that it was an ATACMS missile.

The raid took place after international media reported on November 17 that President Joe Biden’s administration allowed Ukraine to use US weapons as aid to raid deep into Russian territory. The US has not confirmed this information.

ATACMS was developed by the US in the 1980s and commissioned in 1991. The missile can be launched from HIMARS or M270 MLRS rocket artillery. The ATACMS Block I variant has a maximum range of 165 km, later variants can hit targets about 200-300 km away.

Information about the raid appeared a few hours after President Putin approved an update to nuclear doctrine, allowing the use of atomic weapons if Russia is attacked by large-scale air strikes, including in cases where the enemy attacks with weapons. conventional weapons. The doctrine asserts that Russia’s nuclear deterrence policy is purely defensive.