We reported on Tuesday that President Biden gave Ukraine the green light to use American missiles to strike inside of Russia. Now, mere days later, it seems that Ukraine has taken advantage of this.

Get involved in state-level prayer with IFA.

View Comments (10)

According to AP News,

Ukraine fired several American-supplied longer-range missiles into Russia, officials said Tuesday, marking the first time Kyiv used the weapons that way in 1,000 days of war.

The use of the Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, came as Russian President Vladimir Putin formally lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons, opening the door to a potential nuclear response by Moscow to even a conventional attack by any nation supported by a nuclear power. That could include Ukrainian attacks backed by the U.S.

A Telegram channel affiliated with the Ukrainian military posted a video Tuesday that it says shows U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles being fired from an undisclosed location in Ukraine. The Associated Press could not independently verify the date and location the video was filmed.

According to a U.S. official, Ukraine fired about eight of the missiles, and just two were intercepted by the Russians. The official said that the U.S. was still assessing battle damage, but that the missiles struck an ammunition supply location in Karachev, a city of about 18,000 people in Russia’s Bryansk region. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence assessments.

As we reported on Tuesday, Russia has claimed that this move could provoke a nuclear response. Now that Ukraine has attacked, it is unclear whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will follow through on his threat. President Biden has also taken steps to further antagonize Russia, approving the sending of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine late Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Russia may be making moves in the Baltic Sea. Two fiber-optic cables in the sea were destroyed earlier this week, prompting investigations.

From Sky News,

One cable was damaged on Sunday morning and the other went out of service on Monday.

The Swedish Prosecution Authority has launched a preliminary criminal investigation into the damaged cables on suspicion of possible sabotage.

…

Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation said it had also launched an investigation, but Sweden would lead the probe.

NATO’s Maritime Centre for the Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure was working closely with allies in the investigation, an official said.

Many in Europe feel that these bales were intentionally destroyed in an act of sabotage, and some suspect Russia.

This comes as Sweden, Finland, and Norway have been preparing their citizens for war. Pal Jonson, Sweden’s Defense Minister, even said last month that Moscow was grappling for control of the Baltic Sea, prompting Swedish fears of an attack. Whether Russia was directly involved or not, the timing seems very suspicious.

We will continue to update you on this conflict. For now, let’s pray that God’s will is done, that He brings peace to Europe, and that Americans are protected.

Share your prayers about this conflict in the comments below.

(Photo Credit: Max Kukurudziak on Unsplash)