MOSCOW: Russia said Tuesday it had shot down six US-supplied tactical missiles launched by Ukraine, with officials in annexed Crimea saying some were downed over the Black Sea peninsula. The incident, which occurred over the course of the last 24 hours, has heightened concerns over the intensifying conflict between the two nations.
The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed the interception of six Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) rockets, refraining from disclosing the specific location of the shoot-down. However, officials in annexed Crimea revealed that some of the missiles were downed over the Black Sea peninsula.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed leader of Crimea, stated that one of the missiles was intercepted in the village of Donskoye, near Simferopol, Crimea’s main city. Aksyonov cautioned residents against approaching any undetonated submunitions, urging them to contact emergency services or the police if encountered.
A photograph shared by Aksyonov showed a metallic sphere purportedly belonging to the destroyed missile, though Russia did not confirm whether the missiles caused any damage in Crimea.
Earlier reports from Russian-occupied southern Ukraine indicated air defense operations over Simferopol and the town of Dzankoi in northern Crimea. While Ukraine has previously conducted attacks in Crimea during Moscow’s extended offensive, Ukrainian authorities refrained from commenting on Tuesday’s incident.
The interception comes amidst ongoing military support provided by the United States to Ukraine, with Washington confirming the supply of ATACMS missiles in February. Ukrainian forces have been awaiting the arrival of additional US weapons, sanctioned by President Joe Biden following protracted delays due to political debates in Congress.
