Headline: Russia Vows Retaliation After Ukraine Launches US-Made ATACMS Missiles
Russia has promised retaliatory measures after saying it shot down eight US-made ATACMS missiles launched by Ukraine this Saturday morning. Moscow views the use of these missiles, which have a range of up to 300 kilometers (186 miles), as a significant escalation.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that their air defenses downed the eight ballistic missiles along with 72 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It warned that "these actions of the Kyiv regime, which enjoys the support of Western curators, will be answered with retaliation."
The statement added that several drones were destroyed in the Leningrad region in northwestern Russia, with one intercepted in Kursk, where Ukraine conducted a surprise attack last summer.
The move comes after the outgoing US President, Joe Biden, approved the use of ATACMS by Kyiv in November, partly in response to Russia’s decision to expand the conflict by deploying troops from North Korea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously threatened to respond to Ukrainian attacks using Russia’s new nuclear-capable ballistic missile, the "Satan 2." Last month, Putin suggested that it could be tested over Kyiv as a demonstration of Russia’s air defense systems supplied by the West. So far, the experimental weapon has only been fired once, targeting the Dnipro region in Ukraine on the morning of November 21.
Residents and emergency services personnel stand in front of a destroyed house following a Russian missile attack on Saturday. (Image: CNN)
UAV attacks from Ukraine have prompted temporary restrictions at an airport in Saint Petersburg, according to the Russian state news agency TASS. Meanwhile, Russia has fired a total of 81 drones at Ukraine during the night from Friday to Saturday, according to the Ukrainian Air Force Command. These included Shahed drones made in Iran and "several types of imitation drones."
Russia claims to have taken control of the village of Nadiya in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, and is pressing ahead in Donetsk, with the city of Pokrovsk under increasing pressure. Ukrainian forces are also reported to be losing ground south and east of the city.
As the conflict enters the new year, Ukraine finds itself at a disadvantage on the battlefield, with Russia making gains along the eastern front lines. Concerns are rising over the incoming Trump administration potentially reducing vital military aid; Trump has pledged to end the conflict.
This is a developing story, more updates to follow.
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