Ukraine Launches Storm Shadow Missiles into Russia for the First Time

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Ukraine has fired British-French-made Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory for the first time, escalating the ongoing conflict between the two nations. The attack, confirmed by a Ukrainian official and reported by Russian military sources, took place on Wednesday, just a day after Ukraine also launched U.S.-made ATACMS missiles into Russia.

The Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of approximately 250 kilometers (155 miles), were used to target a facility in Bryansk, located north of Russia's Kursk region. The strike reportedly damaged an ammunition depot, with initial assessments indicating secondary explosions, a common result of hitting munitions storage facilities. U.S. officials have supported this claim, contradicting Russia’s assertion that the attack caused no significant damage.

The missile launch follows Ukraine's recent use of longer-range weapons, including the U.S. ATACMS missiles, which were fired for the first time the previous day. Ukraine’s Defense Minister, Rustem Umerov, declined to provide details on the use of the Storm Shadow missiles, but emphasized Ukraine's right to defend itself with all available means. "We are just sending a message that we are capable and able to respond," Umerov said during a news conference.

The U.S. had given Ukraine the green light to use the ATACMS missiles against targets inside Russia, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently confirmed the use of long-range missiles, including the newly acquired ATACMS, in Ukraine’s defense efforts.

The missile strikes come amid ongoing Ukrainian counteroffensives in Russian-occupied territories and are part of a broader strategy to strike military targets deep within Russian borders. While the U.S. and European nations have provided Ukraine with advanced weapons systems, Russia has repeatedly condemned these actions, claiming that the missile attacks are escalating the conflict.