Ukraine Says It’s Using US-Provided HIMARS Inside Russia

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said Wednesday that its soldiers are using US-provided HIMARS rocket systems to target pontoon bridges and engineering equipment in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

The statement, made on Telegram, marks the first time Kyiv has said it’s using US rockets inside Russia, which marks a significant escalation of the proxy war. The US has said Ukraine is allowed to use US-provided weapons in its Kursk offensive but has not confirmed the use of HIMARS.

Russian officials have previously said that HIMARS have been used to destroy bridges inside Kursk. “Where do Russian pontoon bridges ‘disappear’ in the Kursk region? Operators … accurately destroy them,” Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces said.