Ukraine deploys U.S.-made missiles as war reaches 1,000 days

U.S. President Joe Biden has given Ukraine the green light to use American-made, long-range missiles to hit targets within Russian borders. The Ukrainian military is wasting no time deploying them. We’re learning more about how these weapons might impact the overall trajectory of the war and how Russia and the rest of the world might respond.

The effectiveness of Ukraine’s quick use of these longer-range missiles to attack Russian targets is highly debated. Experts remain unsure how long these weapons will hold off Russian troops and how the Kremlin plans to respond to this escalation.

After yet another drone attack, Ukraine is escalating its response to Russia’s invasion on this, the one-thousandth day of war.

After finally receiving the green light from U.S. President Joe Biden, Ukrainian troops are quickly using American-made, longer-range missiles on Russian territory.

The Army Tactical Missile Systems were fired into Russia’s Bryansk region, with the Russian Defense Ministry confirming the action and claiming it was able to shoot down five of the six missiles.

While the use of these weapons might allow Ukraine to gain territory in the short term, some experts believe this won’t be enough to hold off Russia long-term.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has updated his country’s nuclear doctrine since the approval of these weapons, saying that aggression from a non-nuclear state with the participation of a nuclear country will be considered a joint attack.

Nuclear deterrence is a core part of Russia’s military doctrine, and this revision broadens the definition of what can be considered a threat to Russia going forward.

While the Kremlin has referred to this decision as “reckless,” experts like Professor Aurel Braun believe Russia’s retaliation may not be as severe as Putin has threatened.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte commented on these recent developments today, saying the organization plans to discuss how it can further help Ukraine.

At the G-20 summit in Brazil, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would have liked to see a stronger statement made about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine—something that is top of mind for world leaders ahead of incoming U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Kyiv residents lit a thousand candles at the Motherland Monument today, marking one thousand days since Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Thousands of Ukrainian citizens have died, and millions are living as refugees abroad as Europe’s largest conflict since World War II continues to rage on.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told citizens to remain resilient while speaking in the country’s parliament today, saying he has plans for a serious ramp-up in the production of strike weapons.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images