ASTRA: Russia acknowledges use of ATACMS on its territory PHOTO / VIDEO

Russia’s Ministry of Defence has acknowledged that Ukraine used ATACMS missiles to strike targets on Russian territory and claimed that the launch site of the US-made missiles in the Kharkiv region had been hit in response.

The Ministry said the incident occurred on the afternoon of November 18, when Ukrainian forces launched four US-made ATACMS missiles at Voronezh, ASTRA reports.

The Russian Defence Ministry said all missiles were intercepted by S-400 and Pantsir air-defence systems.

“The falling debris of the intercepted missiles damaged the roofs of the Voronezh Regional Geriatric Centre and a children’s home for orphans, as well as one private residence. There were no fatalities or injuries among civilians,” the ministry stated.

The Russian military claims that its reconnaissance assets quickly identified the ATACMS launch site in the Kharkiv region near the village of Volosska Balakliya and struck it with an Iskander-M missile system, destroying two MLRS launchers with their ammunition and up to 10 members of the launch crew.

Voronezh came under attack on the afternoon of November 18. Local channels suggested that ballistic missiles may have been used, though authorities did not confirm this.

Later that day, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed an ATACMS strike on Russian territory but did not specify the targets.

The Ukrainian project CyberBoroshno claims that one of the targets of the ATACMS strike was the Pogonovo training range in the Voronezh region, where Russian forces are concentrated.

One year earlier — on November 19, 2024 — Ukrainian forces used US-supplied ATACMS against Russian territory for the first time, striking an ammunition depot near the town of Karachev in the Bryansk region. Russia responded by launching an “Oreshek” ballistic missile with a non-nuclear hypersonic warhead against Ukraine.

By Khagan Isayev