UPDATES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE; ADDS DETAILS
By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW (AA) - The Russian Defense Ministry published pictures Tuesday that showed debris of US-made ATACMS missiles used by Ukraine to strike targets in Russia's Kursk region.
A statement confirmed that investigations at the sites established the use of the American-made tactical missiles and said Moscow is preparing to respond to the attacks by Ukraine.
"According to confirmed data, over the past three days, Ukraine's armed forces have carried out two strikes with long-range Western weapons on targets in the Kursk region. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation is monitoring the situation and preparing retaliatory actions," it said.
The ministry added that Kyiv launched five American-made ATACMS tactical missiles on Nov. 23 that targeted an S-400 air defense system near the village of Lotarevka, 37 kilometers (23 miles) northwest of Kursk.
Seven missiles were intercepted by the S-400 and Pantsir air defense systems, while one reached its target. Two servicemen sustained minor injuries and infrastructure facilities suffered light damage as a result of falling missile fragments, the statement added.
US President Joe Biden authorized Kyiv last week to carry out strikes deep inside Russian territory using ATACMS, which require US military specialists.
Ukraine then launched multiple strikes on Russian territory with NATO-supplied weapons.
In retaliation, Russia launched its latest hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik, to target the Yuzhmash military plant in Ukraine’s city of Dnipro.