Russia says downed 8 US-supplied ATACMS missiles

MOSCOW: Russia said on Saturday it had shot down eight US-supplied ATACMS missiles, whose use Moscow has warned could spark a hypersonic ballistic missile attack on central Kyiv.

ATACMS missiles have a maximum range of 190 miles (300 kilometres) according to publicly available data.

“Air defence systems downed eight ATACMS US-made missiles and 72 drones,” the Russian defence forces told news agencies without specifying whether there were any casualties or damage.

Outgoing US President Joe Biden’s administration has supplied long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine which can penetrate inside Russia, provoking retaliation from Moscow which has responded with its new hypersonic missile.