Ukraine fires US missiles into Russia for first time, as Putin issues new nuclear policy

Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukraine will use more US-supplied missiles to strike inside Russia as Moscow threatens a nuclear response after six ATACMs were fired 130kms inside the country.

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned Ukraine will launch more long range missile attacks inside Russia, after launching a strike using United States-supplied Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMs) for the first time.

“We now have ATACMs … we will use all of this,” said the Ukraine president in an address after the strike.

“Ukraine has long-range drones of its own production. We now have a long range ‘Neptune’ and not just one. And now we have ATACMS. And we will use all of this,” Mr Zelensky said.

Russia issued threats of a “nuclear response” after the attack, coinciding with the 1000th day of the war, on an ammunition supply depot in Karachev, more than 130km inside Russian territory.

ATACMs have a range of 300kms.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Russia the attack may prompt a nuclear response.

“The Russian Federation reserves the right to use nuclear weapons in the event of aggression against it with the use of conventional weapons,” Mr Peskov said.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on Vladimir Putin “ to get out of Ukraine” and said Russia’s comments about a nuclear response was “irresponsible rhetoric.”

However Sir Keir, who is in Brazil for the G20 summit avoided answering whether Britons should prepare for a nuclear war.

Sir Keir said: “This is irresponsible rhetoric coming from Russia and that is not going to deter our support for Ukraine.

“We’re now on day 1,000 of a conflict, that’s 1,000 days of Russian aggression, 1,000 days of sacrifices in Ukraine.

“We have stood with Ukraine from the start. I’ve been doubling down in my clear message that we need to ensure Ukraine has what is needed for as long as needed to win this war against Putin.

“For the third year running, Putin did not attend this summit. He is the author of his own exile. On day 1,000 of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, I say again: ‘End the war. Get out of Ukraine.”

Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who was at the G20, said the strike inside Russia was a clear signal the West wanted to escalate the conflict, claiming it was carried out with America’s help.

“This is a new phase of aggression against Russia and we will react,” he said.

Several hours after the attack the Kremlin confirmed that Ukraine had fired six ATACMS with five being shot down by Russian defences.

Ukrainian military officials told RBC Ukraine that the attack was carried out using the US-manufactured ATACMS.

“Indeed, ATACMS was used for the first time to strike the territory of the Russian Federation. The strike was carried out on a facility in the Bryansk region, it was successfully destroyed,” a defence source told the Ukrainian media outlet.

On Sunday US President Joe Biden approved such missile strikes within 300km of Ukraine, and Britain was preparing to also supply Ukraine with its own long-range missile, the Storm Shadow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin. Picture: Pool/AFP

Earlier on Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin authorised an updated nuclear policy to allow deployment of nuclear weapons if Russian or Belarusian territory is threatened by a non-nuclear nation supported by a nuclear power. Mr Putin said such attacks crossed “a red-line”.

The new policy states that nuclear weapons could be used in the event of a massive air attack against Russia involving ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft, drones and other flying vehicles.

The Russian state media outlet RAI Novosti said Ukrainian troops launched six ATACMS missiles on a target in the Bryansk region.

It said air defence systems crew shot down five of the missiles and managed to damage the sixth, but missile fragments fell on the military facility, causing a fire.

The UK government labelled Russia’s nuclear sabre-rattling as irresponsible action from a depraved Russian government.

“It would be fair to say it’s the latest example of irresponsibility that we have seen from the depraved Russian government and we remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine,” a Downing Street spokesperson told reporters.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a “resilience plan” in an hour-long speech marking the 1000th day since Russia’s invasion in late February 2022.

He spoke about steps to stabilise the front line, support military production and innovation, including production of 30,000 long-range drones in the coming year and boost national identity.

“Unity is the first point of our internal resilience plan,” he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky poses with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen after delivering a joint statement, in Kyiv, on November 19. Picture: AFP

On Monday, the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova warned the west that “the use of long-range missiles by Kyiv to attack our territory will mean direct participation of the United States and its satellites in hostilities against Russia, as well as a radical change in the essence and nature of the conflict”.

She said that Ukraine did not have the capabilities to operate such high precision weaponry without the participation of NATO-allied countries and space reconnaissance using satellites.

Ukraine’s foreign ministry said in response to the nuclear threat that: “Ukraine will never submit to the occupiers, and the Russian military will be punished for violating international law”.

‘We need peace through strength, not appeasement,’ the ministry said.

The Ukrainian military confirmed Tuesday’s attack on Karachev but did not specify the weaponry used.

“The destruction of ammunition depots will continue for the army of the Russian occupiers in order to stop the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine,” the Ukrainian military announced on Telegram.