- Ukraine confirmed it used U.S.-supplied ATACMS ballistic missiles to strike a Russian 5th Army auxiliary command post near Novopetrivka in occupied Donetsk region on Feb. 24.
- The strike targeted command infrastructure and drone coordination sites, marking the first confirmed ATACMS use by Ukrainian forces since November.
Ukraine’s Armed Forces carried out a strike using U.S.-supplied ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles overnight on Feb. 24, targeting a Russian military command facility near Novopetrivka in the occupied Donetsk region, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The General Staff said Ukrainian forces struck an auxiliary command post of Russia’s 5th Army during the nighttime operation, marking the first confirmed use of ATACMS missiles by Ukrainian forces in an extended period. The strike formed part of a broader series of attacks against Russian military infrastructure across occupied territory.
The operation comes as Ukrainian forces continue efforts to disrupt Russian command-and-control networks and degrade operational coordination behind the front line. Long-range precision strikes are intended to target headquarters, logistics hubs, and drone-control infrastructure that support Russian combat operations in eastern Ukraine.
According to the General Staff, the overnight attack involved American-made ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles alongside other strike capabilities. Ukrainian Defense Forces also hit ammunition depots, unmanned aerial vehicle control points, and a command-and-observation post at three additional locations within Donetsk region.
The Ukrainian military said the targets were directly linked to Russian operational activity in the area. No further details on damage assessments or casualty figures were released.
As noted by the General Staff, the strike focused specifically on military command infrastructure supporting Russian ground operations. Auxiliary command posts serve as backup coordination nodes, allowing units to maintain control if primary headquarters are disrupted or destroyed.
Open-source intelligence community Exilenova+ reported that the previous confirmed employment of ATACMS missiles by Ukrainian forces was recorded on Nov. 18, when Ukrainian strikes targeted military facilities in Russia’s Voronezh region. The Feb. 24 attack therefore represents the first publicly documented use of the system in several months.
ATACMS, or Army Tactical Missile System, is a surface-to-surface ballistic missile launched from HIMARS and MLRS platforms already operated by Ukrainian forces. Designed for precision strikes at long ranges, the missile follows a ballistic trajectory and can engage high-value targets such as command posts, air defense sites, logistics depots, and airfields far behind enemy lines.
Unlike guided rockets, ATACMS provides extended reach and higher kinetic impact, allowing Ukrainian forces to strike targets beyond the range of conventional artillery while reducing exposure of frontline units. The system is typically used against fixed or semi-fixed military infrastructure where precision and rapid response are required.
The renewed use of ATACMS aligns with Ukraine’s ongoing campaign targeting Russian operational depth rather than frontline positions. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly emphasized strikes against command centers and drone coordination facilities as a method to reduce pressure on Ukrainian defensive lines by disrupting planning cycles and battlefield awareness.
Russian forces rely heavily on dispersed command nodes and UAV coordination points to manage artillery fire and reconnaissance operations. Attacks against these facilities can temporarily interrupt communications and reduce the effectiveness of drone-directed strikes, which have become a central feature of combat operations in eastern Ukraine.