Ukraine's Government Had Used Short-Range Ballistic Missiles Against The Rebels: US Officials

[Purveyor]

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But those sanctions have so far failed to stem the flow of weapons or the fighting, which appeared to enter a dangerous new phase Tuesday on reports that Ukraine's government had used short-range ballistic missiles against the rebels, according to three U.S. officials.

The weapons have a range of about 50 miles (80 kilometers) and pack up to 1,000-pound (454-kilogram) warheads. If the reports are accurate, they are the most deadly missiles to date used in the conflict.
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One U.S. official said so far, there has been no reaction from Russia. A second official said it is not clear if the United States will show satellite imagery of the Ukrainian firings "because these are the good guys."

Another of the U.S. officials called the firings "an escalation, but Ukraine has a right to defend itself."

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While U.S. officials say they don't think pro-Russian rebels have used ballistic missiles, they remain concerned about how Russia might respond.

more...

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/07/29/world/europe/ukraine-crisis/

[Igel]

1. Well, today was the first report of guided anti-tank weapons being used by the rebels.

Given the grief caused by Ukr tanks, you'd think they'd have used them before now. If they didn't just arrive. And, true to form, the first instance is right up against the Russian border. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, a new weapon isn't long held back from the first possible targets.

Yesterday at the airport in Luhansk (again, not that far from the border) a reported weapon was fired. Nobody gave a name or # for it. The description was that it appeared to be a tracer round, but then in mid-flight separated to become multiple independent (although not necessarily guided) bombs.

Like everything else. Nobody'll notice until they're really common. Then, of course, there'll be no reason to object because they're really common.

BTW, the explosion in Snizhne a couple of weeks ago might fit the description of a mid-range ballistic missile's use. But that's before the US's alleged "first use by Ukraine".