Moscow: The Russian Defence Ministry said Thursday its air defence systems shot down two British-made Storm Shadow missiles, six HIMARS rockets and 67 drones.
The announcement came in the ministry’s daily roundup of the “special military operation” in Ukraine. It didn’t say when or where exactly it happened or what the missiles were targeting.
This is not Moscow’s first public announcement of the downing of Storm Shadow missiles. Russia earlier reported shooting some down over the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
Meanwhile, Kyiv said that Russia launched an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile at Ukraine for the first since the conflict began.
‘Russia Has Launched ICBM For The First Time Since Conflict Began’
The development comes as the war has increasingly gained an international dimension, with North Korean troops now arriving to assist Russia on the battlefield.
Ukraine also stated that it had fired British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russian territory.
This is the first time Ukraine has used these long-range missiles outside its own borders, as the UK had only permitted Ukraine to use them on its own soil. Russia had earlier called Ukraine’s attacks with US missiles an act of foreign interference and warned that Russia would respond, considering it the start of a “new phase of war.”
The ‘Storm Shadow’ missiles were originally supplied by the UK with restrictions on their use—limited to Ukrainian soil only.
However, this policy appears to have shifted in response to Russia’s increasing reliance on unconventional strategies, including the deployment of North Korean troops in the Kursk region to support its military operations. Western officials have strongly criticized Moscow for these tactics.
US Missiles and Escalation
Just days before the British missiles were reportedly fired, Ukraine had used U.S.-made long-range weapons to strike Russian positions in the Kursk region. These attacks followed President Joe Biden’s decision to approve Ukraine’s use of the ATACMS system. While these U.S.-approved strikes were limited to the Kursk region, they underscored the evolving nature of the conflict.
Two British-made Storm Shadow Missiles, 6 HIMARS Rocket and 67 Drones Shot Down, says Russia world-news World News | Latest International News | Global World News | World Breaking Headlines Today
