British state media has confirmed that Ukraine launched British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at targets deep within Russia’s Kursk region. UK confirms ‘Storm Shadow’ strike in Russia, risking severe escalation of the ongoing conflict. This strike, likely involving extensive NATO support in terms of targeting intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance, marks a dangerous shift in the war, pushing the boundaries of military engagement. The use of long-range missiles, sanctioned by both the UK and the US, could provoke a major response from Russia.
Although the UK has not officially acknowledged its role in authorising these strikes, British officials have suggested that Defence Secretary John Healey recently held talks with his Ukrainian counterpart regarding such operations. Healey had previously stated in Parliament that the UK was significantly increasing its support for Ukraine, stressing that “Ukraine’s actions on the battlefield speak for themselves.”
Images circulating on Telegram, reportedly showing missile fragments in Kursk, have been verified by experts as remnants of the Storm Shadow missile. The attacks may have been a response to allegations that North Korean troops have joined Russian forces in the region, further complicating the conflict.
While the Russian Ministry of Defence has not confirmed the missile launches, several reports claim that up to 12 Storm Shadows were fired, all except one of which were allegedly intercepted by Russian air defences. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that multiple Western nations, including the UK and the US, have granted Ukraine permission to conduct long-range strikes deep within Russian territory.
Russia has issued dire warnings that such missile attacks, involving NATO-supplied weapons, could mark direct NATO involvement in the war, with catastrophic consequences. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the use of Western long-range missiles would fundamentally change the nature of the conflict, prompting him to revise Russia’s nuclear doctrine to allow for the potential use of weapons of mass destruction in response to these escalating attacks. This marks a dangerous crossroads, with the potential for the war to spiral into an uncontrollable and devastating confrontation.
