Russia warns Ukraine's use of ATACMS missiles marks ‘new phase’ of war

Russia had warned that if Ukraine used US missiles to strike Russia, Moscow would see NATO as involved

Russia has said that Ukraine's use of long-range ATACMS missiles against its territory marks a “new phase of the Western war” against Moscow and has warned that it will react “accordingly.”

On Tuesday, Moscow claimed that Ukraine had used US-made ATACMS missiles to target a military facility in Russia's Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine. This comes just days after the United States authorised Kyiv to use the long-range missiles against Russian targets.

The attack, involving the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), took place overnight and was reported to have struck the Bryansk region with six missiles. Russia's Ministry of Defence stated that air defence systems intercepted five of them, with one missile being damaged.

“This is, of course, a signal that they want to escalate,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a Group of 20 (G20) news conference in Brazil. “We will be taking this as a qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia. And we will react accordingly,” he added, accusing Washington of assisting Ukraine in operating the missiles.

Russia has previously claimed that the ATACMS is programmed by US specialists and requires guidance from American satellites.

Zelenskyy confirms use of  ATACMS

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that his country was working with international partners to secure longer-range strike capabilities. When asked about the attack on Bryansk, Zelenskyy said Ukraine now had access to both US-supplied ATACMS systems and its own long-range weapons, pledging to use them all. Ukrainian military officials did not officially confirm the use of ATACMS, but anonymous sources from both Ukraine and the US told Reuters that the missile system had been deployed.

Russia’s nuclear doctrine update

Lavrov also urged the West to read a newly signed decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin, which lowers the threshold for when Moscow might use nuclear weapons. “I hope that they will read this doctrine … in its entirety,” Lavrov said.

For months, Russia had warned that if Ukraine were allowed to use US, British, or French missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, Moscow would view those NATO countries as directly involved in the conflict. The US gave the green light for the use of long-range weapons after reports emerged of North Korean soldiers being deployed in Russia’s Kursk region to fight Ukrainian forces.

Putin’s newly approved nuclear doctrine provides a framework under which Russia might resort to nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack that threatens the nation’s sovereignty, including a strike on Russian territory by Ukraine with US-provided missiles. The decree does not explicitly commit Russia to using nuclear weapons but opens the door to such a response, particularly as Moscow presses a slow-moving offensive in Ukraine, now approaching its 1,000th day.

Kremlin responds to nuclear threats

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a Ukrainian strike using long-range US missiles could trigger a nuclear response, citing the revised doctrine, which allows for such retaliation in the event of an attack on Russian sovereignty or territorial integrity.

The updated Russian nuclear doctrine, approved on Tuesday, marks a shift from a 2020 decree that stipulated nuclear use in response to a nuclear strike or an existential threat to the state.

US, EU, and UK reactions

The White House, however, expressed little surprise at Russia’s decision to update its nuclear doctrine, noting that Moscow had been signalling this move for weeks. A statement from the National Security Council said the US would not alter its own nuclear posture in response.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell condemned Russia’s nuclear threats as “completely irresponsible.” “It is not the first time that Putin plays the nuclear gamble,” Borrell said in Brussels, following defence ministers' talks. “Any call for nuclear warfare is an irresponsibility.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed these concerns, describing the revised doctrine as the "latest example of irresponsibility" from “the depraved Russian government.” A spokesperson for Starmer added, “Russia’s the one that continues to escalate this war, and the use of North Korean troops is just one example of that. [Putin] could remove his troops, roll back his tanks, and end the onslaught and needless bloodshed in both Ukraine and Russia.”