Ukrainian forces used long-range ATACMS missiles for strikes on two air bases in the occupied cities of Berdiansk and Luhansk on the night of 16-17 October.

According to the The Wall Street Journal, over the last few days the US has secretly sent "a small number of missiles" to Ukraine. The sources do not disclose other details, but the modification of the ATACMS received by Ukraine was said to have a range of about 160 km. 

Later, the media platform Noelreports posted a photo of missile wreckage on Twitter (X) that indicates that it was probably the MGM-140A ATACMS Block I, M39 type.

I think we can confirm the use of ATACMS. This is reportedly debris from Berdyansk.

MGM-140A ATACMS Block I, M39(A1?) pic.twitter.com/hRr1KiYCls

— NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) October 17, 2023

Earlier on 17 October, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces confirmed the strike on air bases in the temporarily occupied cities of Berdiansk and Luhansk, which caused the destruction of nine Russian helicopters with different modifications, an air defence launcher and an ammunition storage point.

For months, Ukraine has been asking the US to provide it with long-range armament in order to strike targets of the Russians in their rear, but Washington has refused due to concerns about escalation from Russia’s side and shortages of such missiles for the American military.

The UK and France, however, provided Kyiv with their own Storm Shadow/SCALP long-range missiles back in the summer, which the Ukrainian forces have been efficiently using on the temporarily occupied territories, mainly in Crimea.

In September, according to media reports, US President Joe Biden informed Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a meeting in the White House that Washington would hand over a small number of ATACMS missiles to help in the war with Russia. There has been no official announcement.