Russia says shot down US-made missiles launched by Ukraine over Crimea
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Russian legislator Leonid Ivlev says Ukraine carried out strikes on airbases in Crimea using 12 ATACMS missiles.
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In this image provided by the US Army, soldiers, from the 3rd Battalion, 321st Field Artillery Regiment of the 18th Field Artillery Brigade out of Fort Bragg N.C., conduct live fire testing at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., on December 14, 2021, of early versions of the Army Tactical Missile System. (John Hamilton/U.S. Army via AP, file)
Russia confirmed Tuesday it had shot down six US-supplied tactical missiles launched by Ukrainian forces, with officials in Crimea saying some were downed over the Black Sea peninsula.
Last week, the United States said it had sent Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles to Ukraine in February. But Kiev has been asking for more powerful weapons for months as it struggles to contain advancing Russian forces.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced its forces had destroyed six Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rockets "in the last 24 hours," without saying where they were shot down.
"Ten Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, six ATACMS tactical missiles manufactured by the United States and two guided 'Hammer' aircraft bombs manufactured by France were shot down by air defences," the Ministry said.
The head of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said one of the missiles was downed in the village of Donskoye, outside the main city of Simferopol.
"After an ATACMS missile was shot down, undetonated submunitions scattered," he wrote on Telegram.
Russian legislator Leonid Ivlev indicated that Ukraine carried out strikes on airbases in Crimea using 12 ATACMS missiles, warning that such attacks could escalate in the lead-up to President Vladimir Putin's inauguration for a new term next week.
Ukrainian forces are now awaiting the arrival of new US weapons, green-lighted by President Joe Biden after months of being blocked by political disagreements in Congress.
This comes as the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Monday that the Ukrainian forces have suffered substantial casualties in the past 24 hours near the settlements of Krasnohorivka and Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).
Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, acknowledged on Sunday that Kiev's battlefield position has worsened after Russian forces captured additional villages in the east.
In a post on Facebook, Syrsky stated that "the situation at the front has worsened," while also recognizing that Russia possesses "a significant advantage in forces and means," allowing them to make advances amid "heavy fighting."
Read more: 14 mercenaries killed, 8 injured in Russian strike: Source
