Russian Air Defenses Shot Down Six US-Made ATACMS Missiles

The Russian military shot down six Ukrainian operational-tactical US-made long-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles over the previous 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.

"Air defense means shot down ten Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles, six US-made ATACMS operational-tactical missiles and two French Hammer guided aerial bombs during the day," the Defense Ministry said in a summary.

Earlier, a Pentagon spokesperson told Sputnik that US President Joe Biden quietly directed his national security team to provide the ATACMS to Ukraine as part of the security assistance package announced in March, and that these munitions arrived in April.

The United States kept the ATACMS delivery secret at the time in order to maintain Ukraine's operational security, the spokesman said.

Moscow has consistently warned against Western arms deliveries to Ukraine, stressing that they only prolong the conflict and cause more Ukrainian casualties.

The flow of military support to Kiev is becoming increasingly unpopular among Western citizens, but politicians continue to scare them into acquiescence with claims that Russia intends to invade NATO member states.