Ukraine attacked an airfield in southern Russia in the early hours of Wednesday (11) with long-range ATACMS missiles supplied by the US, the Russian army said, vowing to respond with “appropriate measures”.
(AFP) “Six US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles were used. Two of the missiles were shot down by the Pantsir air defense system, while the others were deflected with electronic warfare equipment,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The falling fragments “caused injuries among military personnel” at the site and “damaged” two buildings, the institution added.
“This attack with Western long-range weapons will not go unanswered and appropriate measures will be taken,” the ministry said.
Recently, in response to similar bombings, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to bomb decision centers in Kiev and Western countries that supply long-range weapons to Ukraine with an experimental hypersonic missile, called Oreshnik, capable of carrying a nuclear payload.
A US official, who requested anonymity, warned on Wednesday that Moscow could attack Ukraine’s territory “in the coming days” with this missile.
So far, the Ukrainian authorities have not claimed or commented on the alleged attack.
Moscow expressed its indignation when, last month, the United States authorized Ukraine to use the ATACMS missile system.
In response to the frequent Russian bombardments of Ukraine’s infrastructure and cities, Kiev has stepped up its attacks on Russian military and energy sites in order to disrupt the logistics of Moscow’s army, which occupies around 20% of Ukrainian territory.
In the face of Kiev’s bombardments, Russia launched an Oreshnik missile for the first time on November 21, in response, according to Putin, to Kiev’s use of long-range Western weapons.
This missile, unknown until then, can reach anywhere in Europe and could reach the west coast of the United States, according to the characteristics described by the Russian president, who promised to warn before launching it.
Ukraine attacks Russian port and claims oil depot was hit
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Ukraine attacked a southern Russian port on the Sea of Azov with missiles and sparked a fire at an oil depot in the western Bryansk region with drones, officials, sources and several media outlets said.
The extent of the damage and the weapons used in the attack on the port was unclear, although Russia has repeatedly warned that Ukraine’s use of US Atacms missiles on the border represents direct Western involvement and risks triggering a wider war.
Kiev says it strikes Russian energy installations in retaliation for attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, which knocked out around half of Ukraine’s available generating capacity during the war, damaged distribution and caused blackouts.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that air defense units destroyed 14 Ukrainian drones overnight over Bryansk, which borders Ukraine.
Regional governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram that an unspecified production facility briefly caught fire.
The Ukrainian military said the attack caused a large fire at an oil depot, while Russian independent media ASTRA reported that a refinery had been hit and showed flames.
The Soviet-built Druzhba pipeline, which pumps oil from Western Siberia and the Caspian Sea to Europe, passes through Bryansk, as does the Baltic Pipeline System (BPS), which goes to the Baltic Sea.
Kazakhstan’s gas pipeline operator Kaztransoil said that Druzhba was not damaged. Citing the Russian authorities, it said that an industrial facility caught fire and that there was no threat to oil supplies originating in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan plans to ship 130,000 tons (31,000 barrels per day) of oil to Germany in December via Druzhba, in addition to the 1.358 million tons shipped this year.
A Ukrainian industry source said that the night raid on a Bryansk depot did not affect the transit of oil to Europe via Ukraine.