Russia has declared Ukraine’s deployment of long-range ATACMS missiles against Russian territory a "new phase of the Western war" and vowed to respond “accordingly”.
The strikes targeted a military facility in the Bryansk border region, with Moscow reporting that six missiles were launched, five intercepted, and one causing damage.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned the strikes, stating at a G20 news conference in Brazil, “This is, of course, a signal that they want to escalate. We will be taking this as a qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia. And we will react accordingly.”
Lavrov further accused Washington of assisting Kyiv in operating the missiles, alleging U.S. involvement in their programming and satellite guidance.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his country’s reliance on ATACMS and other long-range systems, saying, “We are working with all partners to gain support for longer-range strikes.” However, Ukraine’s military has not publicly detailed the weapons used in the attack, though anonymous Ukrainian and U.S. officials confirmed the involvement of ATACMS.
The incident coincided with Russian President Vladimir Putin formalising a new nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for deploying nuclear weapons. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said this doctrine could justify a nuclear response to a conventional attack threatening Russia's "sovereignty and territorial integrity" or that of its ally, Belarus.
Lavrov noted the significance of the updated doctrine, urging the West to study it closely. “I hope that they will read this doctrine … in its entirety,” he said.
The doctrine, approved on Tuesday, leaves room for flexibility, avoiding firm commitments while underscoring Moscow’s readiness to escalate nuclear threats. Putin’s move is seen as an attempt to compel the West to back down as the Ukraine war nears its 1,000th day.
Western leaders have condemned Moscow’s actions and rhetoric. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called the revised doctrine unsurprising, asserting that Russia has sought to intimidate through "irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behaviour". Miller added, “We have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture, but we will continue to call on Russia to stop bellicose and irresponsible rhetoric.”
The European Union's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, denounced the nuclear threats as "completely irresponsible", while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticised the revised doctrine as "the latest example of irresponsibility" by Russia.