Russia reports that Ukraine has conducted two additional strikes using ATACMS missiles

Russia announced on Tuesday that it would take retaliatory measures following Ukraine‘s attacks on Russian military facilities using US-supplied weaponry. This comes after President Vladimir Putin had cautioned Kyiv and Western nations against such missile strikes.

In recent days, both Moscow and Kyiv have intensified their aerial assaults, employing increasingly advanced weaponry, raising concerns about a potential escalation of the conflict.

Ukraine launched its first US-made ATACMS missiles at Russia last week after receiving approval from Washington, prompting the Kremlin to respond with an experimental hypersonic missile that struck the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.

The Russian defense ministry reported that Ukraine’s recent ATACMS attacks on November 23 and 25 targeted military sites and an airfield in Russia’s western Kursk region, resulting in some damage to the infrastructure.

“Preparations for retaliatory actions are underway,” the ministry stated.

In a significant escalation, Russian forces conducted a record attack involving 188 drones against Ukraine overnight, disrupting energy supplies in the eastern part of the country, according to Kyiv’s reports on Tuesday.

Russia acknowledged ‘casualties’

The ATACMS strike on the Kursk Vostochny air base resulted in injuries to two servicemen, marking a rare admission from Moscow’s defense ministry. Additionally, a strike on an air defense battery damaged a radar system and also resulted in “casualties.”

The ministry noted that three of the five missiles launched in the initial strike were intercepted, while seven of the eight missiles used in the subsequent attack were also destroyed.

In retaliation for Ukraine’s initial use of the US-supplied weapon, Moscow deployed its new Oreshnik experimental hypersonic missile on Thursday, which Putin suggested could potentially carry a nuclear payload.

He cautioned that Russia might persist in utilizing the weapon based on “the actions of the United States and its allies,” asserting that Moscow reserves the right to target military installations in nations that permit Ukraine to employ their weaponry against Russia.

Moscow’s remarks regarding the recent strike, along with its extensive drone assault, coincided with a scheduled meeting of ambassadors from Ukraine and NATO’s 32 member states in Brussels, following last week’s launch of an intermediate-range missile by Russia.

This meeting was set to occur shortly after Ukraine’s air force reported the downing of 76 Russian drones across 17 regions, with an additional 95 either lost from radar or neutralized by electronic jamming systems. The fate of the remaining drones was not detailed.

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by stating, “These attacks are feasible only due to Russia’s capacity to evade sanctions through various methods.” He emphasized the need for enhanced collective action to enforce sanctions and compel Russia to cease its aggression.

AFP reporters noted the sound of explosions over the capital during the assault, while in the relatively unscathed western Ternopil region, officials indicated that the drones had caused damage to a “critical infrastructure facility,” without providing further details.

Authorities reported that the attack disrupted electricity supplies in the area, and engineers were actively working to restore stability.

Kyiv expressed hopes for “concrete and meaningful outcomes” from the NATO-Ukraine Council meeting. However, diplomats and officials within NATO have tempered expectations regarding significant results from the discussions scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.

The most anticipated outcome is a reaffirmation of NATO’s previous stance that Russia’s introduction of new weaponry will not “deter NATO allies from supporting Ukraine.”

Russian forces make progress

A NATO official stated that the meeting “offers a chance to address the current security landscape in Ukraine and will feature briefings from Ukrainian officials through video link.”

The Kremlin has downplayed the meeting, suggesting that it is improbable that any substantial decisions will emerge from it.

On the front lines, Ukraine’s weary soldiers are finding it challenging to counter the advances of Russian forces in the eastern part of the country.

On Tuesday, Russia announced that its troops had taken control of another village in the Kharkiv region, an area where the front line had remained relatively stable until recently.

Moscow’s defense ministry reported that its units had “liberated” the settlement of Kopanky, a village located near the Ukrainian-controlled city of Kupiansk, which had been seized by Russian forces at the beginning of the 2022 offensive before being recaptured by Ukraine later that year.

In the occupied Kherson region, officials appointed by Moscow reported that Ukrainian forces targeted a bus in the Russian-held town of Nova Kakhovka on Tuesday, resulting in four fatalities and at least seven injuries.