Ukraine uses US-supplied ATACMS for first time, Zelensky says

Ukraine has used long-range US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles for the first time, according to Ukraine's president.

In his nightly address, Volodymyr Zelensky said the "ATACMS have proven themselves", adding that they were "implemented very accurately".

The delivery of the missiles was also confirmed by the White House, with National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson saying the ATACMS would "provide a significant boost to Ukraine's battlefield capabilities without risking our [US] military readiness".

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Used since 1991, ATACMS is a surface-to-surface artillery that can hit targets way beyond the range of other existing missiles and rocket systems.

Used in combat during Operation Desert Storm and later in the Iraq War, the ATACMS can strike targets up to 300km away.

ATACMS can also be fired from High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) missile launchers, both of which Ukraine already operates.

The US also has thousands of ATACMS, dating back to the mid-1980s, to send to Ukraine - who said they would use them to target Russian supply lines, airbases and rail networks deep behind their front lines in occupied regions of Ukraine. 

Alongside Mr Zelensky's video message, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense posted a video showing the weapons being fired.

Initially, the footage appears to just show a black screen, before the night sky is lit up by three of the missiles being fired.

The BBC reported that Ukraine said a number of targets were hit, including an air defence system, in Luhansk and Berdyansk.