British Storm Shadow missiles ‘fired at Russia for the first time’: Western official ‘confirms attack’ after Moscow issues WWIII warning
Ukraine has used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles in Russia for the first time, a Western official has reportedly confirmed.
The unnamed official revealed that 12 missiles were launched at the Kursk region on Wednesday, Bloomberg reported.
Unconfirmed images and footage posted to X/Twitter show that residents of the village of Marino, Kursk, came across fragments of the rocket.
One image shows a resident holding a thick piece of broken metal, while another shows a written indentation: “Storm Shadow.”
Britain’s Storm Shadow missiles are capable of evading air defenses, making them a nightmare offensive weapon for their enemy.
The £800,000 missiles use GPS technology to precisely destroy targets and can fly through the air at a speed of 900km/h.
British sources have described the historical development as ‘important’.
Storm Shadow missiles have been used by Ukraine on its own territory for some time, but Kiev now appears to have been given permission to use the weapons to strike inside Russia.
Images shared on social media show what appear to be fragments of a British Storm Shadow missile in Marino, Kursk
One image shows a written indentation on a piece of metal that reads: ‘Storm Shadow’
The £800,000 missiles use GPS technology to accurately blast targets and can travel through the air at 900km/h
A spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his office would not comment on reports or operational matters.
Britain had previously said Ukraine could use Storm Shadow cruise missiles on Ukrainian territory, but the government has been pushing for several months for permission from the United States to allow their use to hit targets in Russia.
Starmer yesterday hinted that Ukraine could use Storm Shadows as he dismissed the Kremlin’s scare tactics.
Asked whether Ukraine should be allowed to use Britain’s missiles, the Prime Minister said: ‘I have doubled down on my clear message that we must ensure Ukraine gets what it takes for as long as it takes to win this war against Putin.
‘I won’t go into operational details. You wouldn’t expect that from me. The only winner would be Putin and that would undermine Ukraine.
“The easiest way to end this conflict is for Russia to stop its aggression, today. We are on day 1,000 of that aggression.”
Storm Shadow – called Scalp by the French – is a weapon equipped with a navigation system that, once launched, descends to a low altitude to avoid detection before zeroing in on its target using an infrared seeker.
On the final approach, the missile climbs to a higher altitude to maximize its chances of hitting the target.
It comes after outgoing US President Joe Biden earlier this week authorized the war-torn country to use long-range missiles to strike deep into Russia.
It comes after outgoing US President Joe Biden earlier this week authorized the war-torn country to use long-range missiles to strike deep into Russia.
The decision was a major US policy shift and comes as Biden is set to leave office and newly elected President Donald Trump has pledged to limit US support to Ukraine and end the war as quickly as possible.
Britain’s Storm Shadow missiles are capable of evading air defenses, making them a nightmare offensive weapon for their enemy
The weapons are believed to be used in response to North Korea’s decision to send thousands of troops to Russia to support Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, one of the sources said.
About 10,000 communist regime soldiers have joined the fight to reclaim Kursk, which Ukraine seized in a daring counter-offensive last August.
Biden hopes this response will “send a message” to Kim Jong Un not to send any further messages, sources said.
British Storm Shadow missiles have a range of up to 150 miles, meaning Ukraine could now have the ability to strike targets in Russia.
It comes just a day after Ukraine carried out its first attack on Russian territory using US-supplied long-range missiles.
A huge explosion at an ammunition depot in Karachev, about 120 kilometers from the Ukrainian border in Russia’s Bryansk region, lit up the night sky yesterday morning on what was Ukraine’s 1,000th day of war.
Eyewitnesses and Russian and Ukrainian military bloggers first reported the attack, while anonymous Ukrainian military officials later said the attack was carried out with the US-made ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System).
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.