Forty-eight hours after the “green light” from Washington appeared in the American press, Moscow claims that the Ukrainian army attacked the Russian region of Bryansk with these long-range weapons during the night of Monday to Tuesday.
Is this a first confirmation of «green light » from Washington published at the very end of the week in the American press? THE New York Times revealed on Sunday that the White House had authorized the Ukrainian army to strike Russian soil with American long-range ATACMS ballistic missiles, until then limited in their use to Ukrainian territory controlled by Moscow. On the side of Washington, no confirmation has officially validated this change in doctrine, Joe Biden having until now never wanted to cross this line, despite numerous Ukrainian requests in recent months.
This Tuesday, November 19, Russia announced that the Ukrainian armed forces had attacked the Russian region of Bryansk with ATACMS missiles. “Tonight, at 03:25, the enemy hit an object on the territory of the Bryansk region with six ballistic missiles. According to confirmed data, American-made ATACMS tactical missiles were used. S-400 and Pantsir air defense systems hit five missiles, one of which was damaged»the Russian Ministry of Defense boasted in a press release, cited by the Russian news agency TASS.
The Financial Times quoting “people close to the case” confirmed the use of ATACMS missiles for the first time on Russian territory. The Ukrainian General Staff did not confirm the use of these long-range missiles, but claimed responsibility for the strikes. “The destruction of ammunition depots of the army of the Russian occupiers will continue in order to put an end to the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine”he reacted.
Ammunition depot in Karachev?
Still according to Moscow, the ATACMS missiles fell on technical installations of a military site, where a fire, which broke out, was reached. “There were no casualties or destruction”says the Russian Ministry of Defense. Several videos of a strong explosion and fire in the Bryansk region have been published since this morning on social networks. It would be an ammunition depot located in Karatchev, already hit by a series of explosions on October 9. However, there is currently no way to confirm with certainty that this new attack was carried out using ATACMS missiles and not Ukrainian-made drones, used since the start of the war by kyiv to strike Russian territory.
The Russian border region of Bryansk is located in the northeast of Ukraine and the town of Karachev is 115 km from the border between the two countries. ATACMS missiles exist in two versions: one limited to a range of 160 kilometers, the other extended to 300 km/h. The American press echoed a “green light”but did not specify which of these two versions would have been authorized by Washington. The White House had already officially authorized the Ukrainians to use their long-range artillery in the Russian regions of Kursk, where the Ukrainians launched an offensive in early August, and Belgorod, a Russian oblast which serves as a base. rear to Russian forces to attack the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv. Guided shells from American HIMARS systems can reach 80 km/h. It is the launcher of this artillery system which also allows ATACMS missiles to be fired.
