KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine claimed Tuesday it had carried out one of the most destructive attacks on Russian air forces since the war began. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attack used long-range ballistic missiles donated by the United States.
Zelensky’s announcement came hours after a US official revealed that the long-range ballistic missiles sought by Kiev for months and promised by President Joe Biden had been quietly delivered and are being used on the battlefield.
Ukraine’s special forces said they destroyed nine Russian helicopters at two airfields in Russian-occupied territories in a night attack on targets in eastern and southern Ukraine.
A statement also said it also hit military equipment, an air defense system, ammunition depots and airstrips. Dozens of Russian military personnel were injured in the attack, codenamed “Operation Dragonfly,” it said.
A U.S. official said the United States had kept a promise Biden made to his Ukrainian counterpart last month and would provide the Army’s tactical missile system, known as ATACMS.
Zelensky expressed “special thanks” to the United States for deploying the ATACMS. “Our agreements with President Biden are being implemented,” Zelensky said in his usual evening address to the nation, saying the ATACMS “have proven their worth.”
Weapons development is increasing pressure on the Kremlin as both sides seek battlefield advantages ahead of winter and what is shaping up to be a protracted war of attrition.
While some versions of the missiles can travel up to 300 kilometers, the official said the ones going to Ukraine had a shorter range and could carry cluster munitions, making them suitable for attacks on airfields.
The Ukrainian statement did not say how the targets were hit. Russian authorities did not comment on the report. It was not immediately possible to verify either side’s battlefield claims.
The airfields in the Luhansk and Berdyansk regions are behind the front line. The Russian military apparently believed that it was at a safe distance from Ukrainian attacks.
Meanwhile, Russia is sending more units to try to capture a key city in eastern Ukraine after apparent setbacks slowed the days-long assault, according to Western analysts.
The attempt to storm Avdiivka, a heavily defended city that stands in the way of Moscow’s ambitions to secure control of the entire Donetsk region, is Moscow’s most significant offensive operation in Ukraine since the start of the year, Britain’s Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday.
The Kremlin’s push to claim Avdiivka comes after months of fending off the Ukrainian counteroffensive that Kiev launched some 16 months after Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Russian forces deployed to Avdiivka are likely to make slow progress and suffer heavy casualties, proving a costly undertaking, the British Ministry of Defense said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The pace of the Russian attack on the heavily fortified target has reportedly slowed in recent days since it was launched last week, a Washington-based think tank said.
Russian officials did not initially comment on developments surrounding Avdiivka.
Citing the Ukrainian General Staff, the Institute for War Research said Ukrainian forces repelled 22 Russian attacks on Monday, up from 30 reported attacks the previous day. Kiev officials said Russia was carrying out up to 60 attacks a day in the middle of last week.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that Russia was still trying to encircle the city, with 10 attacks in the past 24 hours.
Britain’s Defense Ministry said Russia’s attempt to overrun Avdiivka “looks increasingly unlikely in the short term.”
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Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed.
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