Ukraine fires long-range US missiles into Russia

2025 will decide who wins Ukraine

war, says Zelensky

KYIV, Nov 19 (BBC): Russia says Ukraine has fired US-supplied long-range missiles into the country, a day after Washington gave its permission for such attacks.

Ukraine used the Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms) in a strike on Russia's Bryansk region this morning, the ministry of defence in Moscow said. Five missiles were shot down and one damaged, with its fragments causing a fire at a military facility in the region, it said in a statement.

The strike represents the first time the long-range missiles have been used on Russia's internationally-recognised territory and comes shortly after Washington signalled Ukraine had permission to fire the Atacms into Russia. On Monday Moscow said any such attack would prompt an "appropriate and tangible response". Ukraine has already been using Atacms in Russian-occupied areas of its territory for more than a year.

The missiles can hit targets at a range of up to 300km (186 miles) and are difficult to intercept. Kyiv is now able to strike deeper into Russia using the missiles, including around the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces hold over 1,000 sq km of territory. Ukrainian and US officials reportedly expect a counter-offensive in the region.

In a statement, Russia's defence ministry said the strike was launched at 03:25 (00:25 GMT). A fire caused by fallen debris from one of the missiles was quickly extinguished and there were no casualties, it said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Tuesday that 2025 will be decisive in determining who wins the war, in an address to parliament on the 1,000th day of the Russian invasion.

Zelensky, presenting a "resilience plan" to Ukraine with the war at a decisive moment, spoke after Washington gave Kyiv a long-awaited approval to fire US missiles into Russian territory.

"In the decisive moments-and they are coming next year-we must not allow anyone in the world to doubt the resilience of our entire state.