Russia will ‘definitely’ respond to Ukraine ATACMS strike: Kremlin

Russia will “definitely” respond to a Ukrainian attack on a southern airfield using US-supplied ATACMS missiles, the Kremlin said Thursday.

President Vladimir Putin has previously threatened to launch its new hypersonic ballistic missile, named Oreshnik, at the centre of Kyiv if Ukraine does not halt its attacks on Russian territory using US-supplied ATACMS missiles.

Russia’s defence ministry on Wednesday accused Ukraine of firing the missiles in an overnight attack on an airfield in the port city of Taganrog in the southern Rostov region.

A response “will follow when, and in a way that is deemed, appropriate. It will definitely follow,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

He did not provide details of how Russia might retaliate.

Washington only recently gave Kyiv permission to fire ATACMS on Russian territory, following months of requests.

The United States warned Wednesday that Russia could be preparing to fire Oreshnik missiles at Ukraine again.

The US warning was “based on an intelligence assessment that it’s possible that Russia could use this Oreshnik missile in the coming days,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists.

Both sides have escalated aerial attacks in recent months as Russia’s troops advance on the battlefield.

Russia’s defence ministry said Thursday its troops had captured the tiny settlement of Zarya in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.