Russia announced on Wednesday that Ukraine launched a missile strike on the Taganrog military airfield near the Azov Sea, employing six U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles. The attack marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, prompting Moscow to warn of potential retaliatory measures.
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, two missiles were intercepted by a Pantsir missile defense system, while the rest were neutralised through electronic warfare. “On the morning of December 11, 2024, the Kyiv regime launched a missile strike with Western precision weapons at the Taganrog military airfield in the Rostov region. This attack by Western long-range weapons will not go unanswered and appropriate measures will be taken,” the defence ministry said.
The development follows a previous response from Moscow on November 21, when it fired its newly developed intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, nicknamed “Oreshnik” (Hazel Tree), at Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin described the missile launch as a direct reaction to Ukraine’s strikes on Russian territory using U.S. and British-supplied weapons.
Ukraine’s November missile strikes, including the use of ATACMS, HIMARS, and British Storm Shadow missiles, had already heightened tensions. In the aftermath, Putin warned that the conflict was escalating towards a global confrontation and suggested Moscow might retaliate against Western nations for their military support of Ukraine.
A U.S. official acknowledged on Wednesday that Russia might deploy another Oreshnik missile in the coming days but downplayed its significance as a “game-changer” in the war.
Meanwhile, the conflict enters a perilous phase as Russian forces gain momentum, advancing at their fastest rate since the early stages of the war. President-elect Donald Trump, set to assume office next month, has called for a ceasefire and swift negotiations to end the war. However, his administration’s long-term support for Ukraine remains uncertain.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the war has caused tens of thousands of deaths, displaced millions, and triggered the most severe crisis in East-West relations since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
Melissa Enoch
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