Putin insists US missiles that hit airbase will not alter course of conflict

Vladimir Putin has called the US delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Kyiv "another mistake by the United States" in his first public comments since an unprecedented Ukrainian strike destroyed helicopters at two airfields in Russian-occupied territory this week.

Putin also claimed that the deliveries of the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles, which can strike targets more than 100 miles away and deliver salvos with cluster munitions, would "not do Ukraine any good either. It will simply prolong [their] agony." Yet the missiles have struck one of the worst blows against Russian aviation since Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, despite warnings from military experts and bloggers that Russia's forward military bases could be at risk from newly provided American weapons. The strikes could force Russia to pull back its attack aircraft from the frontlines of the conflict.

"War is war," Putin said yesterday. "And, of course, I have said that [ATACMS] pose a threat. It goes without saying. But what counts most is that they are completely unable to drastically change the situation along the line of contact. It's impossible." Russia had earlier warned the US against providing the ATACMS missiles, which both Ukraine and the US confirmed this week had recently been delivered to Kyiv. Ukraine used the missiles to strike airbases in Russian-held Berdiansk and the Luhansk region on Monday evening.