Ukraine fired British missiles for the first time this Wednesday Storm Shadow contra Russiaconfirmed UK media. According to the BBC, The Guardian, Sky News y Reutersthe troops of Volodimir Zelensky They launched an offensive with some 12 of these projectiles over the region of Kursk.
The news was initially spread on Telegram war channels, where users shared images and videos of the impacts and the subsequent dense black smoke coming out of these places. Also, they shared photos with missile fragments which, according to experts, correspond to this type of weapon.
The Ukrainian General Staff has not referred to the attack so far, while the prime minister’s office Keir Starmer He declined to comment on reports or operational matters.
This offensive occurred just one day after kyiv used, also for the first time, the American long-range ATACMS missiles on targets in Russia. After months of requests, this week, Zelensky finally got his counterpart Joe Biden -who will leave office in two months- gives him the green light to be able to use these artillery pieces on enemy soil, in an attempt to neutralize the source of attacks against your country and, thus, take advantage on the battlefield.
Washington’s approval suggested that London would adopt the same position and also allow troops to use their weapons against the Russian Armed Forces, although the Executive had refused to comment on the matter.
Storm Shadows are powerful missiles long range -some 250 kilometers– which, after being shot from an airplane, take a speed close to that of sound and fly until they hit their targets. Due to their precision and speed, they are considered ideal for attacks against reinforced bunkers y ammunition depotsjust as kyiv has been focusing on eliminating lately.
Until this Wednesday, Zelensky only had permission to use them against the enemy within his own borders, so this change, together with that of the United States, will be an important boost for the Ukrainian troops, thus being able achieve deeper goals, in Russia.
This change in the rules for the use of missiles generated great discomfort in the Kremlin, which soon approved a decree what authorizes the use of nuclear weapons against conventional aggressionsince “it was necessary to align our principles with the current situation,” according to Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.
This new provision establishes that Moscow will be able to use its nuclear weapons against aggression from non-nuclear countries that have the support of atomic powers. This would be the case of the United States and Ukraine.
At the same time, the Russian president ordered a airstrike on kyivearly this Wednesday, which, however, was largely repelled. As confirmed by the Army, the anti-aircraft defense systems were able to intercept the majority of the missiles, with no casualties or damage yet recorded, and revealing the effectiveness of their capabilities and the inferiority of the Russian weapons, already worn out, more than a thousand days away. war started.
