Russia said its military successfully repelled a Ukrainian attack with US-made ATACMS long-range missiles in the border Belgorod region and threatened to strike back, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
The Russian Defense Ministry said yesterday on "Telegram" that all ATACMS missiles used in the attack had been shot down and warned that Moscow would take retaliatory action.
DPA notes that it cannot independently verify the claims.
In November, US President Joe Biden authorized Kiev to attack certain targets in Russia with US-supplied ATACMS missiles to defend itself against the ongoing Russian invasion. Russia has warned that it will respond to any long-range missile attack on Russian territory by firing hypersonic missiles at targets in Ukraine. In November, Russia fired a medium-range hypersonic missile, the Oreshnik, which can carry nuclear warheads, at the Ukrainian industrial city of Dnipro, the agency recalls.
Despite Russia's claim that all ATAKMS missiles were repelled, according to the mayor of the city of Voronezh, east of Belgorod, a drone attack forced the evacuation of a multi-story building in the city.
About 100 people were evacuated to safety, and a state of emergency was declared in one of the city's districts to facilitate cleanup after the drones crashed, the city's mayor, Sergei Petrin, was quoted as saying by TASS.