Russia claims to have downed ATACMS over Crimea

Russia on May 4 claimed to have downed four U.S.-made long range missiles supplied to Ukraine over occupied Crimea.

In a post on Telegram, the Kremlin's Defense Ministry said all four ATACMS missiles were intercepted overnight by "air defense systems on duty." It did not say if falling debris had caused any damage.

Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.

Russian authorities regularly claim to have downed Ukrainian missiles and drones without reporting damage, though later reports at times emerge showing military targets or infrastructure that appear to have been struck.

The U.S. confirmed on April 24 that it had begun secretly providing Ukraine with ATACMS – long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems — this spring.

The U.S. first delivered mid-range older models of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine last fall, following months of deliberation. The older models have a range of 165 kilometers.

Newer models of ATACMS have a maximum range of around 300 kilometers and their delivery to Ukraine was previously unknown to the public.

Kyiv has continued to press its Western allies for longer-range weapons, including the newer ATACMS, but partners have hesitated about delivering arms that could potentially be used to strike within Russian territory.

In recent months, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on occupied Crimea, targeting Russian military assets in and around the Black Sea.

A Russian proxy claimed on April 30 that air defenses had intercepted Ukrainian missiles over the cities of Dzhankoi and Simferopol.

In recent weeks, Russian Telegram channels claimed a second missile strike on a military airfield in Dzhankoi.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's (RFE/RL) shared satellite images on May 2 purported to show damaged Russian equipment after strikes on April 30.