For the first time, Ukraine strikes Belgorod region of Russia with HIMARS missiles
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have used HIMARS multiple rocket launchers to strike 'civilian infrastructure' in Belgorod for the first time, claims 'war correspondent' Yevgeny Poddubny on his Telegram channel. He notes that more than ten rockets were intercepted, and there were no casualties or significant damage.
Russia's Ministry of Defense announced today that its air defense systems shot down 62 Ukrainian drones, 14 HIMARS rockets, and three guided Hammer bombs. The ministry did not specify where exactly the HIMARS rockets were intercepted.
Earlier, Ukraine’s European and American allies had granted permission for Kyiv to target Russian territory. In the case of the United States, this permission relates to the use of HIMARS and artillery against border areas from where Russian forces attack Ukrainian territory. Additionally, last week, similar permissions were granted by other Western partners of Ukraine, including Germany and Poland.
The decision is driven by the Russian ongoing offensive operation in the Kharkiv region, during which Russian artillery and drone units, based in the relatively safe Belgorod area, have been able to operate more freely against Ukrainian forces and military equipment. However, strikes using long-range missiles such as ATACMS, which are capable of hitting, for instance, Russian airfields, remain prohibited. This means that the well-known issue posed by Russian glide bombs will not be resolved any time soon.