Ukrainian missile strikes damage Russian military sites in Crimea
Recent Ukrainian Armed Forces' strikes with ATACMS ballistic missiles in temporarily occupied Crimea have inflicted significant damages and casualties on Russian military positions, the VChK-OGPU project reported on Telegram on May 2.
The strikes, carried out overnight on April 30, involved 12 MGM-140B ATACMS ballistic missiles targeting two key locations.
The first strike hit the air defense military unit No. 61261 of the Russian Defense Ministry's Southern Military District, causing a major fire that was only extinguished by morning. This attack resulted in injuries to six Russian personnel who were subsequently hospitalized.
Read also: Pentagon chief confirms increased ATACMS missile aid to Ukraine
The second target turned out to be the military airfield in occupied Dzhankoy, which was attacked twice in the past month. Five Russian soldiers were injured at military unit No. 46453, which houses the 39th Helicopter Aviation Regiment of the 27th Mixed Aviation Division, as well as four air defense command posts of the Southern Military District of the Russian Defense Ministry.
Emergency services and police officers were not allowed access to the site, so the fire had to be contained independently, the VChK-OGPU said.
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Ukraine struck a Russian military airfield in Dzhankoy early in the morning on April 30. Ukrainian officials are yet to confirm the nature of the strike, presumably made with ballistic or cruise missiles.
Explosions were heard in occupied Simferopol, Crimea, overnight on April 30, the Astra Telegram channel reported.
ATACMS for Ukraine
The bill on assistance to Ukraine, signed by U.S. President Joe Biden on April 24, mentions that Ukraine should receive long-range ATACMS missiles. The White House was previously afraid to approve the transfer of such missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, arguing that it was an alleged risk of escalation in the confrontation with Russia.
Read also: White House refutes Russian claims of downing ATACMS missiles
Ukraine received a small number of shorter-range ATACMS missiles with cluster warheads in the fall of 2023. These were MGM-140A missiles (also known as M39 or ATACMS Block I) with a maximum range of 165 km.
The Wall Street Journal reported on March 13, 2024, that the Pentagon was ready to provide Ukraine with longer-range ATACMS ballistic missiles. At the time, U.S. officials said that due to progress in the acquisition of the next-generation Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) system, the Pentagon was open to providing its longer-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine.
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