Ukraine fired six US-made ATACMS missiles at Russia’s Bryansk region, Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday.

Ukraine claimed it hit a military weapons depot in Bryansk in the middle of the night, though it didn't specify what weapons it used. The Ukrainian General Staff said that multiple explosions and detonation were heard in the targeted area.

In a statement carried by Russian news agencies, the Russian defence ministry said the military shot down five Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, and damaged one more.

The fragments fell on the territory of an unspecified military facility, the ministry said. The falling debris sparked a fire, but didn’t inflict any damage or casualties, it said.

Neither side's claims could be independently verified. (AP)