In a major policy shift, the Biden administration has authorized Ukraine to use the ballistic missiles within Russia.

OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) analysts have found that Ukraine has, for the first time, fired US-made ATACMS ballistic missiles with cluster warheads at a military airfield in Russia's Kursk Oblast.

"Right now, they (Ukrainian soldiers) have the ability to use ATACMS to defend themselves in an immediate-need basis. Understandably, that's taken place in and around Kursk Oblast," U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told journalists on Nov.

Twice in recent days, Ukraine has fired American ATACMS missiles at Russian targets. Moscow admits that several missiles hit their targets. The U.S. ATACMS missiles have a range of 300 kilometers. On Nov.

ATACMS are generally referred to as long-range missiles, but "that is a subjective term," said the Times. ATACMS can travel further into Russian territory than any other Ukrainian weapons, but "cannot travel as far as a cruise missile or intercontinental ballistic missile."

Ukraine’s ATACMS strike in Russia’s Bryansk region marks an intensification of the war amid uncertainty over Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Should ATACMS be launched at targets deep within Russia, Putin would be required to retaliate—escalating an already dangerous situation—which might very well end any chance of a ceasefire.

The Biden administration has allowed Ukraine to use Army Tactical Missiles Systems, a long-range missile system that often carries cluster bombs.

A new ballistic missile fired by Russia at the Ukrainian city of Dnipro last week carried multiple warheads but no explosives, and caused limited damage, two senior Ukrainian government sources said.