Ukraine has used US-supplied long-range missiles for the first time, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

His comments follow reports the weapons, known as ATACMS, destroyed nine helicopters at Russian bases in the east of the country. Ukraine has not confirmed the missiles were used.

Ukraine said an air defence system and other equipment were among the targets hit in Berdyansk and Luhansk.

Dozens of Russian troops were killed or injured in the operation, it added.

"They have performed very accurately. ATACMS have proven themselves," Mr Zelensky said in an evening address posted on social media, without giving details of when or where they were used.

Russia's military has not commented.

 

The Biden administration had previously refused to provide ATACMS to Ukraine, but had decided "in recent weeks" to send them quietly, US media outlet CNN reported, quoting two US officials.

It said that Washington wanted to take Moscow by surprise, in case Russia moved equipment and weapons out of reach before the projectiles could be used.

Because of concerns about tensions with Russia, the missiles provided to Ukraine have a lower range than the maximum the system is capable of, according to the Associated Press.

 

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More on the attacked airfields:

 

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces command, or SSO, provided further details, including that the operation was code-named Dragonfly. Posting to the Telegram messaging app, the SSO claimed that Dragonfly led to the destruction, at both bases, of nine helicopters of different types, as well as “special equipment that was located at airfields, [an] air defense launcher, [and] ammunition warehouse.”

In this context, “special equipment” could well refer to radar or electronic warfare systems on one of the airfields.

 

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/atacms-appears-to-have-hit-battlefield-ukraine-in-spectacular-fashion