Russia's Rostov Oblast could be Ukraine's next target for ATACMS missiles

At least four airfields in Rostov Oblast are reportedly within the range of these missiles.

"A strike in the region could be devastating," WSJ writes, noting that Rostov-on-Don is a landing site for large military aircraft that transport soldiers to the occupied eastern Ukraine.

Analysts from the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War compiled a map with nearly 200 military targets within the range of ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles. However, the map shows only a portion of the potential targets. Ukraine, according to experts, can also act based on intelligence information to strike at command posts and other Russian facilities that change locations, the newspaper reports.

Russia reportedly had time to move some aircraft and helicopters out of the missiles' range. However, the farther the enemy equipment is from the front, the more time it will take to deploy it on the battlefield, and fuel consumption must also be considered.

The governor of Kursk Oblast of Russia, Aleksei Smirnov, claimed that Russian air defense forces allegedly shot down two Ukrainian missiles and 27 UAVs over the region overnight on Nov. 23.

According to Russian propaganda channels, Kursk Oblast was struck by approximately five long-range missiles, likely ATACMS or Storm Shadow.

Permission to use long-range missiles for strikes on Russia

The New York Times reported on Nov. 17 that U.S. President Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles for strikes deep into Russian territory. According to the NYT, the weapons would likely be used initially against Russian and North Korean forces to protect Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Nov. 19 that Ukraine has long-range capabilities.