Thu Nov 21 16:25:15 UTC 2024: ## UK-Made Missiles Strike Inside Russia for First Time, Prompting Fears of Escalation

**KYIV/LONDON** – Ukraine launched a volley of UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory for the first time since the war began, multiple sources confirmed to the Guardian. The strikes, targeting a suspected command headquarters in the Kursk region, reportedly involved up to 12 missiles. Pro-Russian bloggers circulated images purportedly showing missile fragments, a claim corroborated by a US weapons expert, although verification of the images’ recency remains pending.

The attack follows a day after Ukraine used US-supplied ATACMS missiles to strike targets in the Bryansk region. Western officials suggest these strikes, along with the Storm Shadow deployment, are aimed at countering a significant buildup of over 10,000 North Korean troops on Russia’s border with Ukraine. This troop deployment is considered a major escalation by both UK and US officials.

The UK’s decision to approve the use of Storm Shadow missiles within Russia comes after the US authorized the use of similar ATACMS weaponry. While the UK defense secretary, John Healey, hinted at the development, neither the UK nor Ukraine has officially confirmed the missile strikes.

The deployment marks a significant shift in UK-Ukraine relations, following earlier Ukrainian frustration over the lack of Storm Shadow supplies. Russia’s president Vladimir Putin warned that the use of Western missiles inside Russia would be considered an act of direct NATO involvement, a claim dismissed as an empty threat by Western politicians. However, concerns remain about potential Russian retaliation, including escalating attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure or hybrid warfare tactics against Western targets.

The missile strikes coincided with heightened tensions, including the temporary closure of the US embassy in Kyiv due to a potential major air attack warning and the closure of several other Western embassies. Russia, meanwhile, has issued warnings of an “appropriate” response and signed a revised nuclear doctrine lowering the threshold for nuclear weapons use, although the Pentagon insists there is no indication of imminent nuclear deployment. Adding to the escalating situation, Ukraine has received a supply of US-provided anti-personnel landmines, described by President Zelenskyy as essential to halting Russian assaults.

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