The Russian Ministry of Defense said the Ukrainian ATACMS missile hit targets in Kursk province, including the S-400 battlefield, causing some damage.
“According to confirmed data, the Ukrainian army in the past 7 days twice used Western weapons to attack positions in Kursk province,” the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on November 26. “After investigating the scene, experts determined that Ukraine used US-made ATACMS missiles to attack these locations.”
According to this agency, Ukraine on November 23 launched 5 ATACMS missiles at the position of the S-400 battalion near the Lotarevka residential area, 37 km northwest of the capital Kursk of the province of the same name.
“The Pantsir battery, tasked with protecting the S-400 battalion, destroyed three ATACMS missiles, two bullets hit the target. The raid caused damage to a radar and caused a number of casualties,” Russian Ministry of Defense said, but did not give details about personnel losses.
Location of Lotarevka residential area and Kursk-Vostochny air base in Kursk Oblast of Russia. Graphics: RYV
In the November 25 raid, Ukraine launched eight ATACMS missiles at Kursk-Vostochny air base, near Khalino. The S-400 and Pantsir combination shot down 7 of these missiles, one bullet hit the target. Two soldiers were slightly injured, and rocket debris slightly damaged some structures.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that it had controlled the situation in the raided areas and was “preparing retaliatory measures”.
Russia rarely admits that Ukraine hit targets in raids or announces related casualties.
ATACMS missile fragment at the air base in Kursk province in photo released on November 26. Image: Russian Defense Ministry
The above series of raids took place after the US gave Ukraine the green light to use long-range weapons to attack Russian territory. Russia on November 21 launched a medium-range missile carrying an Oreshnik hypersonic warhead against a defense factory in Dnipro, central Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said the raid was in retaliation for Ukraine using US ATACMS missiles and British-made Storm Shadow to attack Kursk and Bryansk provinces.
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. ATACMS is available in versions with ranges of 165 km and 300 km.