- [Narrator] Ukraine fired long-range missiles provided by the US into Russia, hitting an ammunition storage facility near the Russian city of Karachev. The attack, 75 miles from the border with Ukraine, is the first such assault to use long-range NATO-made arms.

It's a move that the Kremlin previously warned it would consider a major escalation. (Putin speaking Russian) The ammunition storage facility is one of hundreds of known Russian military assets that have just become targets for Kyiv. (missiles humming)

Here's what the use of Western arms on Russian territory means for the war and what could come next. (missiles humming) Kyiv had been pleading for months for its allies to remove restrictions on using Western-made long-range weapons to strike inside Russia.

In November, President Biden finally gave Ukraine the green light. In addition to ATACMS, Biden's move could open the door for other weapons like British/French cruise missiles, Storm Shadows or SCALP to be used.

ATACMS are a surface-to-surface missile system fired from a mobile launcher vehicle. They can strike up to 190 miles away, well behind Russian lines. By comparison, Storm Shadows have a maximum range of around 155 miles,

meaning they can also hit deep into Russian territory. - Storm Shadow has been used for quite some time now. They've been used to hit Russian command bunkers, they've been used to hit Russian naval headquarters in Crimea, they've been used quite frequently to hit ammunition dumps

and they've also toppled several bridges. (soldier shouting) (explosion banging) - [Narrator] Previously,
Western allies didn't allow Kyiv to strike deeper into Russia, fearing an escalation of the war, but Biden changed his mind

after thousands of North Korean troops joined Russia's army on the battlefield, according to US officials. (weapons banging) - We're now heading into three
years in terms of this war and Russia continues to
sort of pressure Ukraine and take territory, albeit incrementally,

but still take territory and
it's having a terrible effect on the Ukrainian economy,
Ukrainian population and as we're heading into the winter, you've got the added effects of Russia having degraded Ukraine's
ability to heat itself, which is also problematic
for the Ukrainians.

- [Narrator] Now, hundreds
of Russian military objects are within Kyiv's range according to data compiled by the Institute for the Study of War. - Russia's Air Force has
been deadly in the fight in the sense of they've been launching

all these glide bombs and that's been pivotal
in places like Avdiivka. So, you know, the further
Ukraine can push back the Russian Air Force, the safer it is for Ukrainian troops. - [Narrator] Kyiv has already targeted

many Russian military assets with its long-range drone program. This includes an attack in September at a major arsenal nearly 300 miles away from the Ukraine border. - The Ukrainians have gradually been able to extend their range in terms
of how they can hit Russia

and so, Russia has had to gradually move its ammunition dumps,
its command centers, its very valuable assets,
its planes, its navy, effectively, from the
range of various weapons. - [Narrator] But Ukraine
says being able to strike

deep into Russia with
more powerful weapons could form part of a strategy
to force Moscow to seek peace. Analysts say that Ukraine
could also target positions in the Kursk region
where Russia has amassed more than 50,000 troops,

including some 10,000 from North Korea in an effort to recapture the territory that Ukraine's forces
recaptured earlier this year. The policy shift appears to be part of the Biden administration's push to give what it can to Ukraine before Donald Trump returns
to the White House in January.

Trump, and his Vice
President-elect JD Vance, are expected to press for negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine. - You never have one
weapon that wins a war. We can talk about giving Ukraine an edge and being able to hit deep
into Russian territory,

but the Ukrainians have been
hitting very far into Russia for quite some time now
and it has not won the war. The Russians are still pressuring Ukraine, still taking territory,
albeit incrementally. - [Narrator] President
Vladimir Putin has warned

that allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with these long range
weapons crosses a red line. - It's very difficult to
predict what they'll do, but, however, the Kremlin
has talked before of the West crossing red lines and not reacted when those
red lines have been crossed

and there's been frequent red lines that have been crossed. (missile banging)

Ukraine’s First-Ever ATACMS Strike in Russia, Explained | WSJ

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