Moscow signaled to the West that it is ready for a nuclear confrontation after it authorized Ukraine to attack Russian territory — and appears to be acting swiftly on that green light — using US-made long-range missiles.
Kyiv reportedly wasted little time after Washington on Sunday authorized the use of US-made ATACMS missiles against specific targets. Ukrainian news reports early Tuesday morning, that the missiles were used to attack a Russian military installation in the Bryansk border region.
Russia then confirmed the attack, and the Ministry of Defense confirmed that Ukrainian forces had struck a facility “in the Bryansk region” with US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles. The ministry said air defense missile systems shot down five missiles and damaged another.
“Its fragments fell into the technical territory of a military facility in the Bryansk region, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished. There were no casualties or damage,” the ministry said.
CNBC could not independently verify the reports and Ukraine’s leader has not commented on the attack.
Kyiv Post news agency quoted a As confirmed by the National Security official The Bryansk strike had been carried out, although he did not say what weapons were used.
The Kremlin has repeatedly warned the West against using long-range weapons to attack Russia directly in Ukraine. On Tuesday, Moscow upped the ante when Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree endorsing an updated nuclear doctrine that changes the parameters of when Russia can use nuclear weapons.
The updated document, which sets out the conditions under which Russia can use nuclear weapons, now states that any attack on Russia by a non-nuclear state, if supported by a nuclear power, will be considered a joint attack.
