On Tuesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that they had allegedly downed several American-made ATACMS long-range missiles in Ukraine. This revelation came just days after the delivery of these highly sought-after missiles was confirmed. The Russian authorities claimed to have destroyed six ATACMS missiles and two French-made Hammer precision bombs, as well as ten unmanned aircraft, within the past 24 hours.
According to reports from the Russian portal ASTRA, Ukrainian forces had been using these ATACMS missiles to launch attacks on the Crimean peninsula, which has been under Russian control since 2014. In particular, Ukrainian forces targeted a military airfield in Dzhankoi, resulting in at least five Russian soldiers being wounded.
In response to this news, Kyiv has been seeking increased support from its international allies. Specifically, they have requested more shipments of long-range ATACMS missiles that have the capacity to hit targets up to 300 kilometers away. They have also asked for a reinforcement of their anti-aircraft defense systems, including the Patriot system.