Thu Nov 21 14:47:53 UTC 2024: ## Ukraine Uses Long-Range Missiles in Russia, Prompting ICBM Response: Reports
**Kyiv, Ukraine** – Tensions in the nearly three-year-long Ukraine-Russia war have dramatically escalated following reports of Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles inside Russian territory. This action, utilizing both UK-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles and previously restricted US-made ATACMS, has been met with a reported retaliatory strike from Russia.
On Wednesday, reports emerged detailing Ukrainian strikes within Russia using the Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles, marking the first confirmed use of these weapons inside Russian borders. Videos circulating on social media, geolocated to the Kursk region bordering Ukraine, showed explosions and missile debris bearing the Storm Shadow designation. The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed intercepting two Storm Shadow missiles, along with other munitions, without specifying the location of the attack or damage. Ukraine has not officially confirmed the attacks. The use of Storm Shadow follows the deployment of US-made ATACMS missiles into the Bryansk region on Tuesday, according to the Russian Ministry of Defence.
These actions follow months of lobbying by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to secure access to long-range weaponry. The US and UK had previously restricted the use of ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles, respectively, to Ukrainian territory only. Speculation surrounding the lifting of these restrictions points to the potential influence of the upcoming US presidential transition and concerns about reduced US support under a potential Republican administration.
In response to the reported Ukrainian strikes, the Ukrainian air force claims Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) targeting the east-central city of Dnipro. This claim, if verified, would mark the first use of an ICBM in the conflict. Russia has yet to comment on this alleged ICBM strike.
The escalating situation has prompted strong reactions. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously warned that supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles would constitute a direct act of war by NATO. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov characterized Ukraine’s use of the missiles as a “qualitatively new phase of the Western war against Russia,” promising a response. Experts, however, maintain that while the situation is extremely tense, NATO remains not directly involved in the conflict. The reported ICBM attack, while alarming, has yet to be independently verified. The coming days will be crucial in determining the trajectory of this dramatically escalating conflict.
First Piper 