KYIV: Ukraine fired a volley of British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russia on Wednesday (Nov 20), the latest new Western weapon it has been permitted to use on Russian targets a day after it fired US ATACMS missiles.
The strikes were widely reported by Russian war correspondents on Telegram and confirmed by an official on condition of anonymity. A spokesperson for Ukraine’s General Staff said he had no information.
Moscow has said the use of Western weapons to strike Russian territory far from the border would be a major escalation in the conflict. Kyiv says it needs the capability to defend itself by hitting Russian rear bases used to support Moscow’s invasion, which entered its 1,000th day this week.
Accounts of Russian war correspondents on Telegram posted video they said included the sound of the missiles striking Kursk region, which borders northeastern Ukraine.
At least 14 huge explosions could be heard, most of them preceded by the sharp whistle of what sounded like an incoming missile. The video, shot in a residential area, showed black smoke rising in the distance.
The pro-Russian Two Majors channel on Telegram said Ukraine fired up to 12 Storm Shadows into the Kursk region and carried pictures of missile pieces with the name Storm Shadow clearly visible.
A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declined to comment.
Britain had previously allowed Ukraine to use Storm Shadows, which have a range in excess of 250km, within Ukrainian territory.
The Kyiv government has been pressing Western partners for permission to use such weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia, and it obtained the all-clear from US President Joe Biden to use the ATACMS this week, two months before Biden leaves office.
As Ukraine’s use of the missiles raised tensions, the United States shut its embassy in Kyiv on Wednesday as a precaution due to what it called the threat of a significant air attack. It later said the embassy would reopen on Thursday.
The Pentagon on Wednesday also announced US$275 million in military aid to Ukraine that included more ammunition for the HIMARS rocket system, and the Biden administration moved to forgive US$4.7 billion in US loans to Ukraine as outgoing officials sought to do what they could to bolster Kyiv before they leave office.
