Ukraine fired six American-supplied longer-range missiles at Russia’s Bryansk region, Moscow said on Tuesday, in what would be Kyiv's first use of the weapons inside Russia in 1,000 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.
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 the Washington eased restrictions on the ATACMS in recent days.
The 1,000-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.
