Was Attack on Ammo Depot in Russia’s Bryansk Region First Cross-Border ATACMS Strike? Russia Says Yes

[UPDATES] As of 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19, Russian state news agency TASS, citing the Russian Defense Ministry, reported that at 03:25 Moscow time, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a strike on a facility in the Bryansk region using six ATACMS ballistic missiles.

“The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed the use of American-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles,” TASS wrote.

According to the ministry, air defense systems intercepted five of the missiles over the Bryansk region, while one missile was damaged.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that fragments of an ATACMS missile fell within the technical territory of a military facility in the Bryansk region, causing a fire that has since been extinguished. 

The ministry further claimed that there were no casualties or significant damage resulting from the strike with ATACMS missiles.

The 67th arsenal of the Main Directorate of the Missile and Artillery Directorate of Russia, located near the town of Karachev in Russia’s Bryansk region, was reportedly struck with US-made ATACMS missiles on Tuesday, Nov. 19.

Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, confirmed the strike had been carried out without indicating which weapons had been used while adding that this storage site had previously been targeted by Ukrainian drones.

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According to him, the depot reportedly stored artillery ammunition, with guided bombs, anti-aircraft missiles, and munitions for multiple launch rocket systems, much of which had been supplied by North Korea.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) also reported that early on Nov. 19, Ukrainian forces, in cooperation with other Defense Forces units, carried out the attack.

“By 2:30 a.m. 12 secondary explosions and detonations at the target site were recorded,” the statement said. “Destroying ammunition depots belonging to the army of the Russian occupiers supporting Russian aggression will continue.”

Russian media sources, including residents on social networks, reported explosions coming from within the Karachev district, and suggesting that a “military base” was being attacked. The Russian Astra Telegram channel shared videos of the incident, while local reports said that there had been strikes on this arsenal in late 2023 and again in June and October this year.

The Russian Telegram channel “Military Informant” speculated that Ukraine might have used a combination of drones and Western missiles, possibly ATACMS or Storm Shadow.

Ukrainian military journalist Yuriy Butusov claimed, citing sources, that the strike marked the first-ever use of US-made ATACMS missiles on Russian territory following U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent authorization.

Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to strike NATO forces if Ukraine conducted long-range attacks on Russian territory.

“Now the world waits to see if Putin will respond,” Butusov wrote.

While acknowledging that long-range strikes would not immediately affect the outcome of the war, Butusov said it would deal significant blows to facilities to the rear of the Russian army, complicate its maneuvers and logistics in border areas, and force it to stretch its air defenses further.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Telegram channels suggested the missile flew over 140 kilometers (87 miles) to hit its target, contradicting earlier Western media reports that the US had insisted that strikes would be confined to Russia’s Kursk region.

“This attack also demonstrated that Russia’s air defense will have huge problems with our ballistics,” the message said.

Kyiv Post has yet to confirm the use of ATACMS missiles but is seeking clarification from sources within Ukraine’s Defense Forces.

The 24 Channel outlet reached out to the Armed Forces of Ukraine's General Staff for a comment on whether the strike was conducted with ATACMS missiles. However, they responded that they did not have such information.

On Nov. 17, Western outlets reported that Biden’s administration had authorized Ukraine to use American long-range missiles on Russian territory.

Reuters indicated these weapons could soon be deployed, with The New York Times suggesting their use would initially focus on defending Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region against Russian and North Korean troops.

Meanwhile, Axios reported that US authorization was specifically limited to the Kursk region, aimed at deterring North Korea from deploying additional troops to Russia.

Previously, Western allies were hesitant to permit strikes deep into Russian territory, citing fears of escalation. However, reports of Ukraine receiving such permissions emerged on the same day Russia launched its most extensive missile assault on Ukrainian cities in months.

On Sunday, Russia fired 120 missiles and 90 drones at Ukraine, with Ukrainian forces successfully intercepting over 140 of them, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky described the assault as a massive coordinated strike across all regions of Ukraine. He said that Russian forces deployed various types of drones, including Shaheds UAVs alongside cruise, ballistic, and aeroballistic missiles including the Tsirkon, Iskanders and Kinzhal types.