Ukraine fires UK-made Storm Shadow missiles into Russia

Ukraine has fired long-range British Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory for nan first time, a time aft launching United States-made long-range missiles into nan country, British media outlets report.

Russian warfare analogous accounts connected Telegram posted footage connected Wednesday they said included nan sound of nan missiles striking successful nan Kursk region, which lies connected Ukraine’s border. At slightest 14 immense explosions tin beryllium heard, astir of them preceded by nan crisp whistle of what sounds for illustration an incoming missile. The footage, changeable successful a residential area, showed achromatic fume rising successful nan distance.

People successful Kursk besides reportedly recovered fragments from nan missiles successful nan region.

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his agency would not beryllium commenting connected reports aliases operational matters.

Britain had antecedently said Ukraine could usage Storm Shadow cruise missiles wrong Ukrainian territory, but London has been pressing Washington for support to let their usage to onslaught targets wrong Russia for respective months.

On Tuesday, Ukraine utilized US-made long-range weapons to onslaught targets successful Russia. US President Joe Biden’s administration has allowed Kyiv to usage these missiles successful and astir nan Kursk region only.

Afterwards, Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered nan period for a atomic onslaught successful consequence to a broader scope of accepted attacks. Washington said afterwards it had not seen immoderate logic to set its atomic posture while China called for restraint.

In different US argumentation displacement connected Wednesday, Biden authorised nan usage of antipersonnel landmines successful Ukraine. Washington besides announced a $275m subject assistance package for Ukraine, including ammunition for nan High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), artillery shells, Javelin surface-to-air missiles, and mini arms and ammunition.

The US argumentation shifts travel arsenic Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine, which has been ongoing for much than 1,000 days, is astatine a volatile juncture. Nearly a 5th of Ukrainian territory is successful Russian hands. North Korean troops are deployed successful nan Kursk region, and location are increasing doubts complete nan early of Western assistance arsenic US President-elect Donald Trump prepares to return to nan White House successful January.

Reporting from Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig said nan determination to authorise nan usage of antipersonnel landmines is apt successful statement pinch a US effort to thief Ukraine slow down Russian advances successful its eastbound to summation much leverage successful early bid talks.

“The Biden management is connected its measurement out, and we person President-elect Donald Trump coming into office, who has criticised US subject assistance to Ukraine and has besides said he would extremity this warfare successful a matter of days,” Baig said.

“So what nan US management wants is to put Ukraine successful a very beardown position to astatine slightest slow down immoderate Russian advances truthful that erstwhile location are negotiations, Ukraine is put successful a much advantageous position than what it is now,” he added.

The US is not a signatory to a 1997 normal banning landmines, but Biden had pledged to limit their use.

The Russian authorities said Washington’s actions show nan US wants to prolong nan war, and it has promised to respond.

Russian overseas intelligence main Sergei Naryshkin warned successful an question and reply published connected Wednesday that Moscow would retaliate against NATO countries that facilitate long-range Ukrainian rocket strikes against Russian territory.

Foreign embassies connected alert successful Kyiv

In Kyiv connected Wednesday, nan United States unopen its embassy owed to what it called nan threat of a important aerial attack.

Later, aft an aerial ambush siren successful nan early day jangled nerves successful Kyiv, Ukraine’s subject spy agency said Russia was trying to sow panic by circulating clone online messages astir a monolithic looming rocket and drone attack.

“The enemy, incapable to subdue Ukrainians by force, resorts to measures of intimidation and psychological unit connected society. We inquire you to beryllium vigilant and steadfast,” it said.

A US authorities root said nan embassy closure was “related to ongoing threats of aerial attacks”.

The Italian and Greek embassies said they excessively had closed. Meanwhile, nan French embassy remained unfastened but urged its citizens to beryllium cautious. The German embassy successful Kyiv said it would stay unfastened but successful a constricted capacity.

Separately connected Wednesday, Ukraine’s parliament changed its subject mobilisation rules and agreed to let Ukrainians who person been released from Russian captivity to defer from fighting, according to The Kyiv Independent newspaper. Soldiers tin besides beryllium released from work aft nan sidesplitting aliases disappearance of a family member, nan study added.

Kyiv besides said it changeable down 56 of 122 drones and 2 retired of six missiles launched by Russia connected Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Moscow said its forces destroyed a Ukrainian subject portion successful nan Olgovskaya Roshcha area successful Kursk, wherever Ukrainian forces person taken territory aft Kyiv launched an violative location successful August.

On Wednesday, a Reuters news agency study said Putin is unfastened to discussing a ceasefire pinch Trump but has ruled retired making immoderate awesome territorial concessions and has insisted that Kyiv wantonness ambitions to subordinate NATO.

But Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reacted to nan Reuters report, saying “any action of freezing this conflict will not activity for us”.

Speaking astatine a news conference, he said it is important for Russia to execute its goals, “which are good known to everyone”.

According to Russia’s TASS news agency, Peskov was referring to Russia’s request for Ukraine’s neutral and nonaligned status, nan information of Russian borders and Kyiv’s refusal to deploy overseas weapons connected its territory.