Ukraine's military confirms for the first time that it has hit Russia with long-range US ATACMS missiles and says it will continue to do so

The Ukrainian military announced on Tuesday that it had attacked military targets on Russian soil using long-range US-supplied ATACMS missiles, calling it a “significant development”, Reuters and The Kyiv Independent write.

Kiev has not previously openly said it is using these advanced US-supplied ballistic missile systems against targets in Russia, although the ban on their use was lifted by the Biden administration, which ended a year ago.

The General Staff of the Ukrainian army said the November 18 attack was “a significant development that underlines Ukraine's firm commitment to its sovereignty.”

“Despite the continuous pressure exerted by the Russian offensive actions, the Ukrainians remain resilient, demonstrating determination and constant determination in the defense of their homeland. The use of long-range attack capabilities, including systems such as ATACMS, will continue,” the leadership of the Ukrainian military said in a press release on Tuesday.

The General Staff did not provide additional details about the attack.

Kiev received ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) missile systems two years ago, but was initially restricted from using them only on its own territory, nearly a fifth of which is occupied by Russian troops.

Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ wrote that residents of Voronezh, Russia, reported hearing explosions and anti-aircraft defenses being activated due to a missile attack on the city.

ATACMS missiles have a range of about 300 kilometers (186 miles) and can carry a warhead containing 170 kilograms of explosives.

Joe Biden, who was the US president at the time, lifted these restrictions in November 2024, a move that was initially criticized by his successor, Donald Trump.

Trump said on August 21 that Ukraine “has no chance of winning” if it is not allowed to attack Russia and criticized Joe Biden for not letting Kiev “fight back, just defend”.

The confirmation from the leadership of the Ukrainian military came after months in which the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) review process gave Secretary Pete Hegseth the authority to block Ukraine's long-range attacks on Russia with US missiles, effectively preventing the use of ATACMS missiles against Russian targets since late spring, The Wall Street Journal wrote on August 23.

Ukraine first received shorter-range versions of the ATACMS missiles in the fall of 2023. In the spring of 2024, the US began supplying improved models.

Ukraine has also requested US-made Tomahawk missiles with a range of 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles), saying they would help bring Moscow to the negotiating table.

Although Trump initially considered selling them to Kiev, in November he said he was “not considering” the move.