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Moscow accused Kiev of using US-supplied long-range ATACMS missiles to attack an airbase in the Rostov region of southern Russia and threatened to retaliate.
Russia has vowed to retaliate against Ukraine, accusing Kiev of using Western-supplied missiles to attack an airbase in Rostov in southern Russia.
In a statement released on December 11, the Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine fired six long-range Army Tactical Missiles (ATACMS) supplied by the US at an airbase in the port city of Taganrog in the Rostov region.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, two of the ATACM missiles were shot down by the crew of the Pantsir air defense missile system, while the others were deflected by electronic warfare equipment.
The Russian Defense Ministry added that no servicemen were injured, but falling shrapnel “caused minor damage” to military vehicles and nearby buildings.
“This attack with long-range weapons supplied by the West cannot go unanswered, and appropriate measures will be taken,” the Russian Defense Ministry stressed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously threatened to launch an Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile into central Kiev if Ukraine does not stop attacks on the territory of the Russian Federation with long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) supplied by the United States.
Putin's warning seems likely to come true soon after Moscow's announcement of retaliation, while on December 11, a US official who requested anonymity said the Russian Federation may again target Ukraine with an Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile and the timing of the launch could be in the next few days.
Previously, on November 21, the Russian Federation used the Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic missile to attack the city of Dnipro, Ukraine. Later, the launch site was identified as the 4th missile test site in Kapustin Yar, Astrakhan region of the Russian Federation, and the target of the attack was the facility of the Yuzhmash missile and space corporation - a Ukrainian missile and defense enterprise in Dnipro city.
