The Russian Defense Ministry announced, early on Saturday morning, that its air defense systems shot down and neutralized four long-range ATACMS missiles supplied by the US and launched by Ukrainian forces towards the Crimean Peninsula.
It was not immediately clear the extent and ramifications of the attack on Crimea, a peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014. Kyiv is yet to formally react to the claim.
Russia, which has been locked in a conflict with Ukraine for more than two years, typically announces claimed intercepts by its air defenses whenever there are Ukrainian drone or missile attacks.
Kyiv reportedly carried out such strikes recently with missiles supplied by the US, targeting Russian military facilities in Crimea. Multiple independent sources described hits on three military sites in Crimea. The war in Crimea resulted in casualties.
The US previously announced it planned to supply longer-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine in a new arms package.
This type of missile's range was restricted to 165 km in earlier delivery.
Russia uses Crimea as a major staging area, sending troops, weapons, and ammunition through the peninsula that juts into the Black Sea.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, has promised to retake all of the area that Russia has taken, including Crimea.
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