Three Russian S-400 Reportedly Destroyed as Moscow Says ATACMS 'Thwarted'

Ukrainian forces destroyed three of Russia's prized S-400 Triumph air defense systems using U.S.-provided Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) in an attack that Moscow said it had thwarted, a Russian Telegram channel has reported.

On Wednesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said it had destroyed two of Ukraine's ATACMS "over the past 24 hours."

ATACMS are capable of reaching targets 100 miles or more away. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on October 17 that Kyiv used the ATACMS for the first time in the war to strike Russian airfields in Ukraine's Luhansk region and the port city of Berdiansk in the Zaporizhzhia region, destroying multiple Russian helicopters.

The VChK-OGPU outlet, which purports to have inside information from Russian security forces, reported on Thursday that a Ukrainian strike using ATACMS destroyed three of Russia's S-400 Triumph air defense systems stationed in the Luhansk region.

"Yesterday, the Ministry of Defense reported the downing of two ATACMS. The source of VChK-OGPU described the reality so ironically: 'Everything is exactly like that. Two ATACMS missiles were destroyed following a direct attack on the positions of the air defense group of the Russian Armed Forces in the Luhansk region and at the cost of 3 S-400 installations stationed there,'" the Telegram channel reported.

The Telegram channel did not elaborate on the alleged attack by Ukraine, or when it took place. Newsweek has been unable to independently verify the channel's claims, and has emailed Ukrainian authorities and Russia's Defense Ministry for comment.

Russian Telegram channels published unverified footage that purportedly shows the destruction of the three Russian S-400 systems by Ukrainian ATACMS. It shows a huge cloud of gray smoke rising into the sky. The clip appears to originate from a closed Telegram channel.

Other images showed two expended Ukrainian ATACMS, reportedly in the Luhansk region.

Ukraine hasn't commented on Russia's announcement that it destroyed ATACMS.

Kyiv's first known use of ATACMS earlier this month on two Russian airfields is believed to have destroyed 14 helicopters.

The U.K. Ministry of Defense said in an intelligence update on October 20 that although the extent of damage is currently unconfirmed, it is likely that nine Russian military helicopters at Berdiansk and five at Luhansk were destroyed.

President Vladimir Putin has called the U.S. delivery of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine "another mistake by the United States."

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