On November 19, 2024, the Kremlin accused Ukraine of having fired long-range missiles at Russia, a few days after having received approval from the United States for the use of these weapons. We take stock of this new escalation.
Six American missiles were reportedly fired towards Russia during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Heavy accusations coming from the Kremlin, a few days after several allies of Ukraine spoke out in favor of this type of attack.
Five missiles intercepted
Moscow accused Ukraine on Tuesday of having attacked the Russian region of Bryansk during the night using six long-range American Atacms missiles, which Washington now authorizes kyiv to use on Russian territory, according to several sources interviewed by Reuters and other media outlets over the weekend.
The Ukrainian army said it had attacked a large munitions warehouse near the town of Karachev, about 110 km from the border with Ukraine, but did not specify the type of weapon used. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, cited by Russian news agencies, five missiles were intercepted, the sixth was damaged.
Debris from one of the projectiles fell on a military installation, causing a fire, the ministry added, without reporting any other damage or casualties.
While kyiv made no comment on the equipment used in the attack on the Bryansk region, two Ukrainian media outlets said Atacms missiles had been used there for the first time. The attack was followed by twelve secondary explosions at the targeted site, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Telegram.
Nuclear weapon?
Russian President Vladimir Putin later expanded the possibility of using nuclear weapons, reports BFMTV. By signing a decree this Tuesday, he allows “wider use of nuclear weapons”.
This text states that “among the conditions justifying the use of nuclear weapons is the launch of ballistic missiles against Russia”.
The spokesperson for the Russian presidency, Dmitry Peskov, explained that he “was necessary to adapt our foundations to the current situation”.
The decree also covers “the provision of territory and resources for aggression against Russia” to justify the use of weapons of mass destruction.
The situation closely monitored by Russia
In a statement Tuesday morning, the Russian Defense Ministry said air defense systems shot down twelve Ukrainian drones in the Bryansk region between 7:15 a.m. Moscow time (4:15 a.m. GMT) and 8:35 a.m., and four others between 9:10 a.m. and 9:20 a.m.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was closely monitoring the situation on the front and in particular the possibility that Ukraine would use American Atacms missiles on the Russian region of Kursk, part of whose territory is occupied by Ukrainian troops since an offensive launched this summer.
Russian forces also continued their attacks against Ukraine during the night from Monday to Tuesday. One of them carried out using a drone cost the lives of eight people including a child in Hloukhiv, in the Sumy region in the north-east of the country, local authorities reported.
Prior Russian warnings
Moscow has been warning for weeks that a green light from Washington for American missile strikes on Russian territory would represent a serious escalation in the conflict and Vladimir Putin on Tuesday approved a new nuclear doctrine opening the possibility for Russia to resort to the weapon atomic in the event of a massive attack by a State not equipped with nuclear weapons but supported by a nuclear State.
Russian state media also announced the start of mass production of modular, container-shaped shelters intended to provide protection during 48 hours against radiation atomic bombs, explosions, falling debris, hazardous chemicals and fires.
Offensive massive russe
These Ukrainian offensives in Russia follow a “massive attack” of the Kremlin – in progress for several weeks.
Six European countries, including France, accused Russia on Tuesday of carrying out hybrid attacks “unprecedented in their variety and scale” against NATO and EU countries.
The escalation of these hybrid activities represents a significant security risk, the foreign ministers of Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom said in a joint statement. The so-called war “hybrid” combines military and non-military actions of a diplomatic, economic, cybernetic, or information manipulation nature.
“We also know this in Germany now […] : cyberattacks, surveillance of strategic infrastructure, parcel bombs […] and a broken data cable between Finland and Germany”declared German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. “It can’t just be coincidences,” she added.
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