Russia promises retaliation after saying Ukraine fired US-supplied missiles

Outgoing US President Joe Biden has authorised Kyiv to usage the long-range weapons against Russia.

Russia has pledged to retaliate aft it claimed to person changeable down 8 US-supplied ATACMS missiles fired by Ukraine astatine its borderline portion of Belgorod.

“On January 3, an effort was made from Ukrainian territory to motorboat a rocket onslaught against the Belgorod portion utilizing US-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles,” the Russian Ministry of Defence said connected Saturday.

“These actions by the Kyiv regime, which is supported by Western curators, volition beryllium met with retaliation,” it added, saying each the missiles were changeable down.

The ministry said earlier that aerial defences downed 8 ATACMS missiles successful total, without saying erstwhile oregon where.

Officials successful Ukraine person not yet responded to the accusation.

The Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) has a scope of 300km (190 miles) and was archetypal developed successful the 1980s.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden had authorised Kyiv to usage long-range weapons against Russia past year, successful a determination the Kremlin denounced arsenic a sedate escalation of the astir three-year conflict. Biden is expected to denote further information assistance for Ukraine successful the coming days, according to White House spokesperson John Kirby.

US President-elect Donald Trump said successful an interrogation past period helium was “very vehemently” opposed to Ukraine utilizing the arms, which helium said were “escalating” the conflict.

Besides subject enactment from the US, Kyiv volition besides reportedly person its archetypal French Mirage 2000-5F multirole fighters this month, according to French mag Avions Legendaires.

Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened past twelvemonth to onslaught cardinal Kyiv with a hypersonic ballistic rocket if Ukraine continued hitting Russian territory with long-range Western weapons.

Both Kyiv and Moscow person accused each different of fatal attacks connected civilians since the twelvemonth began.

A Russian onslaught connected a colony successful Ukraine’s northeast Kharkiv portion earlier connected Saturday killed a 74-year-old man, determination Governor Oleg Synegubov said.

At slightest 3 people, including 2 children, were wounded successful a Russian onslaught connected the Sumy portion of northeastern Ukraine connected Saturday, section authorities said. Sumy borders Russia’s Kursk portion and has been regularly shelled by Russian forces for months.

Russian forces besides launched attacks adjacent the Ukrainian metropolis of Pokrovsk successful an effort to bypass it from the southbound and chopped disconnected proviso routes to Ukraine’s troops, the Ukrainian subject said connected Saturday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Russia had launched 300 onslaught drones and 20 missiles astatine Ukrainian targets successful the archetypal 3 days of 2025, but said a ample magnitude was changeable down by Kyiv’s forces.

“Such Russian terror, which continues with unrelenting intensity, requires some america and each our partners not to trim efforts successful strengthening our aerial defence shield and each its systemic components – from Patriot systems to mobile occurrence groups,” Zelenskyy said connected his societal media platforms.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken volition embark connected his last travel successful bureau this weekend, travelling to South Korea, Japan, and France.

At meetings successful Paris, helium is expected to sermon European information and Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine with French officials, showcasing the Biden administration’s last outreach towards Kyiv earlier the Trump authorities takes over.