According to foreign media reports, sources said that on the 20th local time, Ukraine launched as many as 12 British "Storm Shadow" cruise missiles into the Kursk region of Russia. The day before, Uzbekistan used the American Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to attack targets in Russia for the first time. On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree approving the updated nuclear doctrine. The outside world is worried that the tension in the Ukrainian crisis will escalate again.
Ukraine used US-British missiles to attack Russia for the first time?
According to CNN, on the 20th local time, Ukraine launched a series of "Shadow of the Storm" cruise missiles provided by Britain to targets in Russia for the first time.
According to reports, on the same day, a Russian military blogger posted photos of "Storm Shadow" missile fragments on social media Telegram, claiming that 12 missiles were launched into the Russian Kursk region.
The blogger said that the photo of the missile fragments was taken in marino village, Okursk region, about 35 miles from the Ukrainian border, and the words "storm shadow" were engraved on the fragments.
Image source: Screenshot of CNN report
Trevor Bauer, a former US Army explosive ordnance disposal technician, confirmed that the debris in the photo came from the Storm Shadow missile. However, CNN said that it was impossible to confirm whether the photos on the Telegram were taken on November 20.
The report pointed out that Britain and France had previously provided "Storm Shadow" missiles to Ukraine for use in Ukraine. The missile has a range of about 250 kilometers, which is slightly shorter than that of American ATACMS.
In addition, The Times quoted sources as saying that the ban on Ukraine’s use of the British "Shadow of the Storm" missile on Russian territory has probably been lifted.
Up to now, Ukraine and Britain have not commented on this.
According to RIA Novosti, on the 19th local time, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that at 3: 25 am on the 19th, the Ukrainian army attacked a facility in Bryansk State in Russia with six American-made "Army Tactical Missile System" (ATACMS) missiles. Missile fragments landed in a military facility in Bryansk State, causing a fire, and no casualties were caused.
"If long-range missiles are used from Ukrainian territory to Russian territory, it means that they are controlled by American military experts. We will regard this as a new stage of the Western war against Russia and respond accordingly." Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said.
Lavrov also said that the actions of the Ukrainian army have escalated the situation. He urged the United States and its western allies to learn about the updated Basic Policy of the Russian Federation’s Nuclear Deterrence Countries.
The Ukrainian crisis has further escalated?
"The Ukrainian crisis that has lasted for 1000 days is in a turbulent period." Reuters said that with President-elect Trump returning to the White House in January, 2025, Ukraine and European countries are full of doubts about American aid to Ukraine.
The report pointed out that for several weeks, Russia has been signaling to the United States and its allies that if they allow Ukraine to use missiles provided by the West to attack Russian territory in depth, then Moscow will regard it as a "major upgrade."
According to Ukrainian media reports, on the afternoon of the 20th local time, Ukraine issued an air defense warning, asking people to seek asylum because of the "missile threat", which caused widespread panic.
At the same time, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine issued a security alert, saying that the Embassy received the news that it might suffer a "major air strike" on the 20th. Due to careful consideration, the Embassy was temporarily closed.
According to Euronews, on the same day, the embassies of Italy, Greece and Spain in Ukraine announced that they would be closed on the same day due to the risk of attack. Although the French embassy remains open, it urges its citizens to be cautious.
On the 18th, local time, Hungarian Foreign Minister Jardot said that "the ideas of the political elites who supported the war in the United States and Europe are becoming more and more divorced from reality, and it seems that they are launching the last desperate and fierce attack", which is extremely dangerous and "the real threat of the third world war is approaching step by step".