On the 1,000th day of the Russia-Ukraine war, Russia stated that Ukraine launched its first attack into Russian territory using American ATACMS missiles on Tuesday, November 19.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that its forces successfully intercepted five Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles aimed at a military facility in the Bryansk region, with one missile fragment hitting the facility, causing a fire but no casualties or damage.
Ukraine, on the other hand, claimed to have launched an attack on a weapons depot approximately 110 kilometers (70 miles) inside Russian territory at midnight, triggering a secondary explosion, but did not specify the exact weapons used.
Both sides’ claims could not be independently verified.
US President Joe Biden recently approved Ukraine’s use of American long-range missiles for such attacks, as Russia had deployed thousands of Korean soldiers in the conflict prior. Russia views Ukraine’s attack as an escalation, believing the US is directly involved in the war and may lead to retaliation.
As the Russia-Ukraine war reaches its 1,000th day, frontline forces are exhausted, with Ukraine besieged by airstrikes, prompting Ukrainian President Zelensky to call for more assistance from the West.
Military experts note that while US missiles can help Ukraine defend its occupied territories in Russia, they may only serve as bargaining chips and are unlikely to change the course of the 33-month-long war.
With former President Trump expected to return to the White House in two months, there may be significant changes in the US stance. The incoming president has promised to quickly end the war but has not elaborated on how this will be achieved.
President Zelensky, in a speech to the parliament, stated that the “decisive moment” of the war will come next year.
“At this stage of the war, it is being decided who will win – whether we Ukrainians will defeat the enemy, or the enemy will defeat us, Ukrainians… as well as Europeans, and all people around the world who desire to live freely without being subject to dictators.”
Since Russian President Putin ordered the invasion by land, sea, and air, Ukraine’s population has decreased by a quarter. Thousands of Ukrainian citizens have perished, and over 6 million have become refugees abroad. This is the largest conflict in Europe since World War II.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched the third attack in three days on a civilian residential area in Ukraine, resulting in at least 12 deaths, including a child.
Authorities stated that on Monday night, in the town of Hlukhiv in the northern Sumy region, a Shahed drone attacked a dormitory of an educational institution, injuring 11 people, including two children, with possibly more trapped under the rubble.
Just the previous Sunday, a Russian ballistic missile carrying cluster munitions struck a residential area in the northern Sumy region, causing 11 deaths and 84 injuries. On Monday, Russian missiles bombed the southern port city of Odesa, sparking a fire in an apartment building, resulting in at least 10 deaths and 43 injuries.
(This article references reports from Reuters and the Associated Press)