What did ATACMS change on 18 October 2023?

What did a single volley of long-range missiles change in the war? On 18 October 2023, the question was already being argued, a day after Ukraine used ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles in combat for the first time.

According to the reports at the time, Ukraine launched the missiles on 17 October 2023 at Russian bases in Berdiansk and Luhansk. Ukrainian forces said the strikes destroyed nine helicopters and a supply depot and killed several Russian military personnel.

Moscow's response

On 18 October 2023, Russia said the US decision to supply Ukraine with the long-range weapons was a "grave mistake" that would have serious consequences. The statement did not specify what those consequences would be.

Strikes on cities

The same day, Russian missile strikes hit locations across Ukraine. Ukrainian officials said at least 10 people were killed. Five of the dead were civilians in a strike on an apartment building in Zaporizhzhia.

The wider setting

The missile debate unfolded during the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive. Ukraine launched it in early June 2023 with the goal of breaching Russian front lines, mainly in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. In the end, Ukraine recaptured 14 villages in those two oblasts, with a total pre-war population of around 5,000. The counteroffensive was widely regarded as a crucial moment in the war.

Seen from 18 October 2023, the day combined a new Western-supplied capability, a sharp verbal reaction from Moscow and a fresh toll among civilians. The first ATACMS strikes were reported as hitting helicopters and supplies at bases in Russian-occupied areas, while Russian missiles hit an apartment building in a Ukrainian city.