Ukraine fires Army Tactical Missile System for first time in strike on occupied Crimea

telegraph.co.uk: Ukrainian forces used an US Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) for the first time to hit a Russian target in occupied Crimea on Monday, according to Russian sources.

The Strategic Command unit of Kyiv’s armed forces said the strike had “hit a strategic object of the air defence system”, but didn’t confirm the weapons used in the aerial assault.

It wounded at least 17 Russian soldiers and damaged five vehicles, one beyond repair, that were part of an air-defence regiment stationed near Olenivka, on the western edge of the peninsula, according to Astra news channel on Telegram.

Russian sources said the attack came as part of “combined” long-range assault including ATACMS, Storm Shadow missiles and sea drones.

On Monday, Russia’s defence ministry claimed it had shot down eight Storm Shadow missiles over Crimea, according to RIA Novosti, a state news agency.

“According to preliminary data, the military shot down two air targets over Sevastopol,” Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of the city, wrote on Telegram.

One person was injured by falling debris, he added.

Ukraine has steadily ramped up its attacks on Russian targets on the peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Moscow in 2014, in order to cut off supplies to the front lines in southern Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelesnky has promised to recapture Crimea and insists there can be no peace talks until Russian forces have been ejected from the area.

The attack at 3am local time on Monday started with the launch of two ATACMS missiles, according to Rybar, an authoritative Russian military blogger.

“It was not possible to shoot down the missiles, but thanks to measures taken in advance, no serious damage was caused,” the blogger wrote on Telegram.

“Half an hour later, sailors of the Black Sea fleet discovered three unmanned boats of the Ukrainian armed forces near Sevastopol,” the social media account added.

Rybar said one was “destroyed”, while another two that tried to enter the Bay of Khersones were also sunk by Russian forces.

Occupational administrators said anti-sabotage operations were triggered as a yellow terrorist warning was issued across Crimea.

Russian troops deployed “camouflage smoke”, Razvozhayev said, adding: “I remind you that the smell is unpleasant, but it is absolutely safe.”

Footage shared on social media purported to show a large missile streaking through the skies above Crimea.

A second clip appeared to show a plume of smoke rising above Sevastopol, while the sounds of explosions ring out as smoke is spotted near the city’s main port in a third.

The Telegraph could not independently verify the claims.

Kyiv previously destroyed a Russian S-400 battery in Olenivka, the same area of the overnight strike.

Its armed forces also confirmed on Monday it had destroyed another of Russia’s most sophisticated air defence systems in an Oct 25 strike in the eastern Luhansk region.

Meanwhile, the commander of Ukraine’s ground forces on Monday warned Russia had significantly bulked up its forces near Bakhmut.

Bloodiest campaign of the war

Russia captured the salt mining city after the bloodiest campaign of the war so far in May.

Ukraine’s counter-offensive was partially aimed at recapturing land held by occupational forces around the city’s south and east.

General Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote on Telegram: “In the Bakhmut area, the enemy has significantly strengthened its grouping and switched from defence to active actions.”

Russian forces were particularly focused on seizing control of Andriivka to the south of Bakhmut, which Kyiv’s forces retook in September, Ukraine’s commander of ground forces said.

Gen Syrskyi said the situation had also become increasingly difficult for Ukrainian forces further north-east in the Kharkiv region town of Kupiansk.

Moscow’s troops were attempting to advance on the town simultaneously from several directions.