Russia says it downed US ATACMS missiles in Ukraine

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia on Wednesday said it shot down two US ATACMS missiles in the "special military operation" zone in Ukraine, the first time since the long-range weapons were delivered to Kyiv.

"Over the past day, two US-made ATASMS tactical missiles, a S-200 anti-aircraft missile converted to defeat ground targets, as well as two HARM anti-radar missiles and two HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems manufactured in the USA were intercepted," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu in a separate statement said that despite the deliveries of the more advanced weapons, the capabilities of Ukraine's armed forces were decreasing. "Today's situation shows that the opponent's capabilities are decreasing," Shoygu said at a meeting with Russian servicemen in Moscow.

Last week, the White House confirmed that it had recently transferred ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in modifications with a maximum range of up to 165 kilometers. It is said that about a dozen of the missiles got into Ukraine within the last few days.

Earlier this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Kyiv used the US-supplied missiles on the battlefield against Russian forces.