US-supplied ATACMS missiles used inside Russia as Ukraine openly confirms cross-border strikes

Ukraine’s military says it has attacked military targets in Russia with US-supplied ATACMS missiles, calling it a “significant development”.

Ukraine has not previously stated openly that it uses the advanced ballistic missile systems on targets inside Russia, although the restriction on doing so was lifted by the administration of outgoing US President Joe Biden a year ago.

“The use of long-range strike capabilities, including systems such as ATACMS, will continue,” the military general staff said in a statement on Tuesday.

Ukraine received the systems in 2023 but was initially restricted to using them only on its own territories, nearly a fifth of which are occupied by Russia.

Biden lifted those restrictions in November 2024, a move which was initially criticised by his successor, President Donald Trump.

Ukraine has requested US-made Tomahawk missiles that have a range of 2500km, saying these will help bring Russia to the negotiating table.

Although Mr Trump initially pondered the idea of selling them to Ukraine, in November, he said he was “not really” considering the move.

Earlier on Tuesday, Moscow’s mayor said Russian air defences shot down three Ukrainian drones en route to the city while two major airports in the Russian capital temporarily halted all incoming and outgoing traffic.

Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said emergency services were working on the scene of the downed drones.

Moscow’s two largest airports, Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo, temporarily stopped all air traffic before later reopening, Russia’s aviation watchdog said.