NEW DELHI: The Russian defence ministry on Saturday said that its air defence forces successfully shot down and destroyed four long-range US made missiles over the Crimea peninsula. These missiles, known as Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), were recently sent by US to Ukraine.
Russian officials mentioned on Tuesday that Ukraine had carried out an attack on Crimea with ATACMS missiles in an attempt to penetrate Russian air defenses over the annexed peninsula.Nevertheless, six of the missiles were intercepted successfully.
A United States official in Washington stated recently that the nation had secretly delivered long-range missiles to Ukraine over the last few weeks.
The ATACMS missiles, which can travel up to 300 kilometers (190 miles), were deployed for the first time during the early hours of April 17, according to an official quoted by media reports.
The missiles were reportedly fired at a Russian airfield in Crimea, which was about 165 kilometers (103 miles) away from the Ukrainian front lines, as stated by the official.
The Pentagon initially opposed the deployment of long-range missiles because they were concerned that taking the missiles out of the American stockpile would have a negative impact on US military readiness.
There were concerns that Ukraine could use the weapons to attack faraway places in Russia, which could lead to an escalation of the conflict towards a direct confrontation between Russia and the United States.
In 2014, Russia gained control of Crimea from Ukraine. The peninsula is where the Black Sea Fleet of Russia is based.
On Thursday, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron promised 3 billion pounds ($3.7 billion) of annual military aid for Ukraine for “as long as it takes’, adding that London had no objection to its weapons being used inside Russia, drawing a strong rebuke from Moscow.
( with input from agency)