Zelensky team: First ATACMS strike marks ‘new chapter’ in Ukraine-Russia war

Russian military helicopters based in occupied Ukrainian territory erupted into flames early Tuesday in what is believed to be the first Ukrainian use of ATACMS, which officials hailed as proof that Russia will be forced to withdraw from all occupied Ukrainian land.

“The pressure is growing,” Ukrainian foreign affairs committee chairman Oleksandr Merezhko told the Washington Examiner. “Sometimes it seems to me that, one day, we have as a focus of our military efforts, the Black Sea. The other day, we have land territories.”— Michael Weiss October 17, 2023 The use of the ATACMS represents a major military and diplomatic benchmark for Zelensky, who has requested the long-range missiles since the initial months of the full-scale war in Ukraine.

The strike overnight damaged the runways while destroying “nine helicopters with different modifications,” according to Ukrainian military officials, as well as an air defense system, “special equipment parked at the air bases,” and ammunition. Ukrainian officials touted it as a “quite important” blow that complicates Russia’s reliance on attack helicopters near the front lines.

It is not clear how many ATACMS have been or will be given to Ukraine. Biden authorized the delivery of a “small number of the missiles ... in recent days,” according to the Wall Street Journal. Biden previously hesitated to provide the ATACMS due to an apparent misgiving that Russia might retaliate against NATO.

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