Ukrainian media claimed the alleged first use of ATACMS deep into Russia

Two Ukrainian media outlets claimed on Tuesday, November 19, that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) allegedly struck Russia's territory inside its internationally recognized borders with U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles.

"According to Censor.NET sources, today, for the first time in history, the Ukrainian Armed Forces struck a military facility on Russian territory with US-madeATACMS ballistic missiles," Yuriy Butusov, editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian publication Censor.NET, wrote on his Facebook page (part of Meta, which is recognized as an extremist organization and banned in Russia).

The journalist added that the attack was allegedly carried out after the authorization of US President Joe Biden.

In addition, the first strike by the AFU against Russian territory with ATACMS missiles was reported by the RBC-Ukraine news agency, citing an unnamed informed source.

At the same time, the Ukrainian Channel 24 reported that the Ukrainian General Staff had no information about such a strike allegedly carried out by the AFU on Russian territory.

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Earlier, on 17 November, The New York Times reported that US President Joe Biden had allegedly authorized Ukraine to use US long-range missiles to strike Russia. The Le Figaro newspaper said at the same time that the French and British authorities had made a similar decision, but then removed this information from the article. EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said afterwards that on November 18-19 the issue of lifting restrictions on strikes deep into Russia with European weapons would be discussed.

At the same time, on November 18, Deputy National Security Advisor to the US President John Feiner did not confirm in a conversation with journalists that Washington had given such permission to Kiev. According to the US official, the White House, making its political decisions, proceeds from the situation on the battlefield.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on Ukraine's possible authorization to strike deep into Russia using ATACMS, pointed out that such an act by the United States would be a qualitatively new round of tension. Later, on November 19, Peskov noted that Moscow was closely following the development of this situation and urged not to be guided by the reports of certain media outlets.

For his part, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said that Biden's possible authorization given to Kiev was due to the fact that the outgoing U.S. president has nothing to lose anymore. Nebenzya urged the West to forget about the idea of defeating Russia on the battlefield because it is impossible.