MOSCOW: The Russian defense ministry announced on Saturday that its air defense forces intercepted four US-made long-range missiles over the Crimea peninsula. These missiles, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), were recently supplied by Washington to Ukraine.
Details on the interception were not disclosed.
Earlier last Tuesday, Russian officials reported that Ukraine had launched ATACMS missiles towards Crimea in an effort to breach Russian air defenses on the annexed peninsula. However, six of these missiles were successfully shot down.
Last month, a U.S. official in Washington revealed that the United States had covertly delivered long-range missiles to Ukraine in recent weeks.
The ATACMS missiles, boasting a range of up to 300 km (190 miles), were employed for the first time on April 17, directed at a Russian airfield in Crimea situated approximately 165 km (103 miles) from the Ukrainian front lines, according to the official.
Initially, the Pentagon opposed the deployment of these long-range missiles, fearing that their removal from the American arsenal would undermine U.S. military preparedness.
There were also apprehensions that Ukraine might employ these missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, potentially escalating the conflict towards a direct confrontation between Russia and the United States.
