Ukraine fires UK-made Storm Shadow missiles at targets inside Russia for first time – Russia-Ukraine war live

UK-made Storm Shadow missiles fired into Russia for the first time

Dan Sabbagh in Kyiv and Andrew Roth in Washington report on the use of Storm Shadow missiles

Ukraine has fired UK-made Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for the first time since the beginning of the conflict, the Guardian understands according to multiple sources.

The decision to approve the strikes was made in response to the deployment of more than 10,000 North Korean troops on Russia’s border with Ukraine in what UK and US officials have warned was a major escalation of the nearly three-year-old conflict.

The Guardian earlier this week reported that the UK would soon approve Storm Shadow missiles for use inside Russia after the US president, Joe Biden, agreed to do the same for the similar American Atacms weapon.

It was not immediately clear what Ukraine used the Storm Shadow missiles to target. Unconfirmed images distributed via the Telegram messaging app appeared to show fragments of the missile at a location with the Kursk region. One weapons expert, Trevor Ball, formerly of the US Army said the images circulating did show Storm Shadow fragments though he could verify if they were current or old pictures.

The strike came one day after Ukraine used US-supplied missiles to strike targets in the Bryansk region. Western officials have indicated that they’re specifically targeting the North Korean buildup in the region as well as infrastructure that may be used for a 50,000-strong offensive against a Ukrainian incursion into the region.

Vladimir Putin has warned that the use of US and UK-made missiles inside Russia’s borders would be tantamount to Nato entering into a direct conflict with Moscow.

Key events

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The UK defence secretary, John Healey, spoke with his counterpart in Kyiv on Tuesday where they discussed London’s plan to support Ukraine, reports the PA news agency.

Healey told the House of Commons on Wednesday:

We’ve seen over recent weeks significant change in the action and in the rhetoric on Ukraine, and Ukraine’s action on the battlefield speaks for itself.

We as a nation and as a government are doubling down on our support for Ukraine and determined to do more. I discussed this with minister [Rustem] Umerov in a call yesterday where he talked about the robust response that Ukraine is making to recent Russian escalations.

That’s the escalation in the attacks on Ukrainian cities and children, the escalation in attacks on their energy system and the escalation with deploying 10,000 North Korean troops in combat positions on the frontline.

We discussed also our plans as the UK to support them throughout 2025. I remain committed to keeping parliament as fully informed as possible and the [shadow defence secretary, James Cartlidge] and the House, I think, will understand the reasons why at this point, I’m not able to go into any further operational details.”

Shadow defence secretary, James Cartlidge, had raised a point of order at the despatch box after “widespread reports in the media of Storm Shadow missiles being used in Russian territory for the first time”, when he asked whether the Commons had been notified of a future statement related to the conflict. Deputy speaker, Nus Ghani, said she was unaware of any indication of a future statement.

UK and Moldova sign defence pact to counter 'Russian aggression'

The UK and Moldova launched a new defence and security partnership on Wednesday in the face of threats from Russia, the UK government announced.

The initiative was disclosed as British foreign secretary, David Lammy, visited the Moldovan capital Chisinau, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The UK foreign ministry said the pact was about “building on extensive cooperation between the two countries and strengthening Moldovan resilience against external threats”.

“Moldova is a vital security partner for the UK, which is why to reinforce their resilience against Russian aggression and to keep British streets safe, I am deepening cooperation on irregular migration and launching a new defence and security partnership,” said Lammy.

Moldova has been looking eastwards with unease since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The war has forced millions of civilians to flee their homes in Ukraine, including tens of thousands to Moldova, with more than 50,000 Ukrainian children now living in the country, the UK statement said.

Earlier this month, Moldova’s pro-European president, Maia Sandu, won re-election after a tense vote overshadowed by allegations of Russian meddling. It came just two weeks after a referendum in which Moldovans voted by a razor-thin margin in favour of joining the EU.

The two votes laid bare divisions in the former Soviet republic, reports AFP. A large diaspora and those in the capital mostly favour joining the EU, while rural areas and the pro-Russian separatist regions of Transnistria and Gagauzia are against.

Britain's foreign secretary, David Lammy, left, at a press conference in Chisinau in Moldova on Wednesday, alongside the country’s foreign secretary, Mihai Popsoi.

Britain's foreign secretary, David Lammy, left, at a press conference in Chisinau in Moldova on Wednesday, alongside the country’s foreign secretary, Mihai Popsoi. Photograph: Vladislav Culiomza/ReutersIn the early afternoon, the Ukrainian air force told people to seek shelter because of a missile threat. Senior officials told people not to ignore the alert, according to Reuters.

That came shortly before Kyiv’s top military spy agency GUR issued a warning about a Russian psychological operation it said involved fake messages claiming to have been sent by the agency.

GUR said in a statement:

A message is being spread via messengers and social networks … about the threat of a ‘particularly massive’ missile and bomb strike on Ukrainian cities today.”

Two Ukrainian military personnel told Reuters they received messages informing them that Russia would launch more than 300 drones and also use warships, warplanes and ground-based systems to fire missiles in a huge salvo.

Reuters could not immediately determine how the messages were sent. One soldier said he received one from a friend, according to the news agency.

The GUR spy agency said earlier that a Russian military command post had been “successfully struck” in the town of Gubkin in Russia’s Belgorod region, about 168 km (105 miles) from the border with Ukraine.

Reuters reports that the statement did not specify who carried out the attack, when it took place or the type of weapon used. Ukraine has also used drones for deep strikes against targets in Russia.

Bloomberg later cited a western official as saying Ukraine had fired UK Storm Shadow missiles into Russia. A spokesperson for prime minister, Keir Starmer, said his office would not be commenting on reports or operational matters. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

UK-made Storm Shadow missiles fired into Russia for the first time

Dan Sabbagh in Kyiv and Andrew Roth in Washington report on the use of Storm Shadow missiles

Ukraine has fired UK-made Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for the first time since the beginning of the conflict, the Guardian understands according to multiple sources.

The decision to approve the strikes was made in response to the deployment of more than 10,000 North Korean troops on Russia’s border with Ukraine in what UK and US officials have warned was a major escalation of the nearly three-year-old conflict.

The Guardian earlier this week reported that the UK would soon approve Storm Shadow missiles for use inside Russia after the US president, Joe Biden, agreed to do the same for the similar American Atacms weapon.

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