The Russian air defense system has already encountered ATACMS missiles, which have been delivered to Kiev, according to Yan Gagin, adviser to the head of the DPR.
“Now the information field both in Russia and in the world is filled with news that the Ukrainians have already launched the first strikes using ATACMS missiles... They [Ukrainian Armed Forces] report on this themselves, and now there are a lot of videos on this subject... Now our air defenses have experience...for effective destruction of such targets. I think this will be done by our armed forces," Gagin stated.
He recalled that Russian air defenses already have experience in intercepting missiles such as Storm Shadow and HIMARS.
“I think we will be able to withstand any threat, because our air defense is currently covering [territory] quite well,” the official noted.
He pointed out the interceptions of Ukrainian missiles and drones that constantly try to attack Crimea as a prime example.
“They are repelled with fairly good efficiency,” Gagin emphasized.
The White House has officially announced that it has recently delivered ATACMS to Ukraine, offering an upgraded version with an improved range of up to 165 kilometers. According to media reports, Kiev received at least a dozen of such missiles.
President Vladimir Putin has called the move 'another mistake by the United States'. He believes that these weapons pose an additional threat, though not enough to radically alter the situation on the front lines. Nevertheless, Russia has the capability to defend itself against these attacks.