First Time, Ukraine Uses American ATACMS Missiles To Attack Russia

JAKARTA - Ukraine is said to have used US ATACMS missiles to attack Russian territory for the first time in a war between the two countries.

Russia said its troops shot down five of the six missiles fired at military facilities in the Bryansk region.

Meanwhile, the debris from a missile hit the facility did not cause any casualties or damage.

Ukraine said it attacked a Russian arsenal about 110 km (70 miles) in Russian territory and caused a follow-up explosion. But Ukraine did not specify what weapons it was using.

US President Joe Biden previously gave Ukraine approval to use US medium-range missiles to attack Russian territory.

The US policy describes Moscow as an escalation that would make Washington the party directly involved in the war and would trigger retaliation.

This comes amid a plan to commemorate 1,000 days of war, with tired troops on the front lines, Kyiv surrounded by airstrikes, and doubts about the future of Western support as Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Military experts say US missiles can help Ukraine defend their territory as a bargaining chip in Russia, but will most likely not change the direction of the war that has been going on for 33 months.

A potentially bigger change in America's stance is expected to come when Trump returns to power in the next two months, after Trump vowed to end the war as soon as possible without informing him of how.

In a speech in parliament, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the moment determined the war would take place next year.