Sources told the Guardian that Ukraine has fired British-made Storm Shadow missiles at Russia for the first time since the outbreak of the civil war.
The decision to authorize the airstrike comes in the wake of the presence of more than 10,000 North Korean troops on the Russia-Ukraine border, which British and US officials said was a major threat to the nearly three-year-old conflict. He warned of a serious escalation.
The Guardian reported earlier this week that Britain could soon use Stormshadow missiles in Russia after US President Joe Biden agreed to give similar approval to similar US-made Atakum weapons. It was reported that it would be approved.
Up to 12 missiles hit what appeared to be a command center in the village of Marino, according to a video uploaded to social media and circulated by pro-Russian war bloggers, marking the first use of British weapons on Russian territory during the war. This was confirmed for the first time. Ukrainian media reported that the location may have been used by North Korean and Russian officers.
Unidentified images distributed through the Telegram messaging app appear to show missile debris in a location in the Kursk region. One weapons expert, former U.S. Army officer Trevor Ball, said that while the circulating images did show Storm Shadow fragments, he could not confirm whether they were current or old photos. said.
There was no official confirmation from Britain, but Defense Secretary John Healey appeared to hint at progress in a speech in the House of Commons as reports of the Kursk attack began to circulate.
Healy said he spoke with Ukrainian national Rustem Umerov on Tuesday. “We have seen a significant shift in behavior and rhetoric regarding Ukraine in recent weeks. Ukraine's actions on the battlefield speak for themselves.”
This marks a rapid turnaround in UK-Ukraine relations, following complaints that Kiev is unhappy with London's refusal to supply a new Storm Shadow. Britain is said to be distressed by the criticism, and it is thought that the complaints may have partly contributed to the change of heart.
The second factor is policy changes by the outgoing Biden administration. The Storm Shadow attack came a day after Ukraine used Atakum missiles to attack targets in the Bryansk region.
Western officials have indicated they are specifically targeting North Korea's military buildup in the Kursk region and infrastructure that could be used in a 50,000-person offensive against Ukraine's invasion of the region.
The Storm Shadow missile is a British-French cruise missile with a maximum range of approximately 155 miles (250 km) that has so far been used to attack Russian targets in occupied Crimea, including the naval headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet. used in These are useful for accurately targeting bunkers and ammunition depots.
President Vladimir Putin has warned that using US and British-made missiles within Russia's borders is tantamount to entering NATO into a direct conflict with Moscow, but Western politicians have dismissed his remarks as hollow. They ignore it as a threat.
Western officials have warned that Russia could escalate attacks on critical infrastructure in Ukraine or use other hybrid warfare tactics against targets in Europe and other U.S. allies around the world. are. British intelligence chiefs have accused Russia of trying to “cause mayhem” on British streets with arson and sabotage, including incendiary devices in packages sent via DHL. They were hidden, and one of them caught fire in a Birmingham warehouse in July. small fire.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said his government would respond “appropriately” a day after Ukraine fired six newly approved Atakumus missiles into an ammunition depot southwest of Bryansk.
Hours earlier, President Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons, as Russian lawmakers warned that U.S. actions were bringing “World War III” closer.
Overnight, the Pentagon said there was no indication that Russia was planning to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine and accused Russian politicians of irresponsible statements.
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“We will continue to monitor, but there is no indication that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons inside Ukraine,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said.
Earlier Wednesday, the United States announced it had temporarily closed its embassy in Kyiv after warning of a “possible significant air attack” and urged Americans to prepare to immediately move to evacuation centers in the event of an air raid warning. recommended.
Such warnings are rare and likely based on specific information, making for a tense day in Kiev. Mayor Vitali Klitschko urged the public not to ignore the air raid warning, which was issued just before 2 p.m.
Residents of Kyiv gathered at metro stations and other locations in Kyiv to evacuate, raising concerns among officials, but one government official told the Guardian he was not aware of any particular threat. he said.
“We don't know exactly what will happen. There could be another large-scale attack like Sunday's, when more than 200 missiles and drones were launched,” said a security official. “The Americans had some signals intelligence and were acting according to their protocols.”
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller later told reporters the embassy was expected to return to normal operations on Thursday.
The US has also reportedly approved the delivery of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine.
In a nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked the United States and Joe Biden for the landmines, which he described as “essential… to stop Russian aggression.”
Ukrainian media announced late Wednesday that Russia had scrambled up to seven Tu-95 long-range bombers over Engels Air Force Base in preparation for a possible missile attack on Ukraine.
The embassies of Italy, Spain and Greece also temporarily closed on Wednesday following the US announcement.
