Moscow says Ukraine fired six US-made missiles into Russia

# Moscow says Ukraine fired six US-made missiles into Russia ##### By Hanna Arhirova and Illia Novikov **Kyiv, Ukraine:** Ukraine fired six American-supplied longer-range missiles at Russia’s Bryansk region, Moscow said Tuesday, in what would be Kyiv’s first use of the weapons inside Russia in 1000 days of war. The reported use of the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, came as Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons, opening the door to a potential nuclear response by Moscow to even a conventional attack by any nation supported by a nuclear power. That could include Ukrainian attacks backed by the US. This image was made from a video posted by a Telegram channel affiliated with the Ukrainian military reportedly shows US-supplied ATACMS missiles being fired from an undisclosed location in Ukraine.Credit: AP A Telegram channel affiliated with the Ukrainian military posted a video Tuesday that it says shows US-supplied ATACMS missiles being fired from an undisclosed location in Ukraine. The Associated Press could not independently verify the date and location the video was filmed. The developments marked a worrying new escalation in the conflict that has repeatedly ratcheted up international tensions. US officials recently expressed dismay at Russia’s deployment of North Korean troops to help it fight Ukraine, while Moscow seethed when Washington eased restrictions on the ATACMS in recent days. The 1000-day mark has magnified scrutiny of how the war is unfolding and how it might end, amid signs that a turning point may be coming with US President-elect Donald Trump entering the White House in about two months’ time. Trump has pledged to swiftly end the war and has criticised the amount the US has spent on supporting Ukraine. Images of Atacms launches by Ukraine.Credit: Lachen Pyshe Telegram This image was made from a video posted by a Telegram channel affiliated with the Ukrainian military.Credit: AP Neither Russia nor Ukraine can sustain the war for a long time, analysts say, though Russia is able to keep going for longer due to its vaster resources. Ukraine’s forces are under severe Russian pressure on the battlefield at places on the about 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line where its army is stretched thin. Ukrainian civilians, meanwhile, have repeatedly been clobbered by Russian drones and missiles. On Tuesday, Ukraine claimed it hit a military weapons depot in Russia’s Bryansk region in the middle of the night, though it didn’t specify what weapons it used. The Ukrainian General Staff said that multiple explosions and detonations were heard in the targeted area, around Karachev. Asked at a news conference if Ukraine had struck the Bryansk region ammunition depot with ATACMS, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky declined to provide any details. However, he said, “Ukraine has long-range capabilities, including domestically produced long-range drones… and now we have ATACMS as well.“. In a statement carried by Russian news agencies, the Russian Defence Ministry said the military shot down five ATACMS missiles and damaged one more. The fragments fell on the territory of an unspecified military facility, the ministry said. The falling debris sparked a fire, but didn’t cause any damage or casualties, it said. Neither side’s claims could be independently verified. Karachev is roughly 115 kilometres from the Russia-Ukraine border. Ukraine in the course of the war has been able to reach much deeper into the vast country -- but with drones rather than missiles. For instance, Russian officials have reported intercepting Ukrainian drones over Moscow, which is about 500 kilometres from the border and most recently Izhevsk, a city about 1450 kilometres from the frontier. Earlier on Tuesday, Ukrainian officials reported a third Russian strike in as many days on a residential area in Ukraine killed at least 12 people, including a child. ”Each new attack by Russia only confirms Putin’s true intentions. He wants the war to continue. Talks about peace are not interesting to him. We must force Russia to a just peace by force,” Zelensky said. Zelensky told European Union lawmakers in a speech via video link that Russia has deployed about 11,000 North Korean troops along Ukraine’s borders and that the number could swell to 100,000. He appeared in person at the Ukrainian parliament, where he presented what he called a “resilience plan” to dig in against the relentless Russian onslaught. He said he expects pivotal moments to occur in the war next year. The plan outlines new approaches to army management, including the creation of a military ombudsman position and a new system of handling military contracts. **AP ** *Get a note directly from our foreign **correspondents **on what’s making headlines around the world. **Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here**.*