Russia Claims to Have Foiled Long-Range ATACMS Missile Attack on Crimea

Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014 and now regards the strategic peninsula as sovereign Russian Federation territory.

The proposed Fiscal Year 2024 U.S. defense budget includes $80 million for a U.S. Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), such as this one being used by the South Korean Army in 2017, to be delivered to Ukraine. South Korean Defense Ministry via Getty Images

Russian air defenses have thwarted a long-range missile attack on Crimea that included the use of U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), according to officials in Moscow.

“Ten Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, six ATACMS tactical missiles ... and two [French-made] guided ‘Hammer’ aircraft bombs were downed by air defenses,” Russia’s defense ministry said in an April 30 statement.