After ATACMS, Ukraine Fires Storm Shadow into Russian Territory

Ukraine has fired UK-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russian territory for the first time, targeting the Kursk region near the border, following its use of U.S.-made ATACMS missiles a day earlier.

Today’s strikes reportedly involved up to 12 missiles, with fragments found in the Kursk region. This move comes after changes in policy by the U.K. and U.S., which had previously restricted the use of these long-range weapons to Ukrainian territory.

The Storm Shadow, a precision-strike cruise missile developed by the U.K. and France, has a range exceeding 500 kilometers and is designed to evade air defenses. Britain had earlier stated Ukraine could deploy these missiles only within its borders, but recent lobbying efforts by Kyiv appear to have resulted in approval for strikes within Russia.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office declined to comment on the operational details, while multiple British media outlets, including Bloomberg, have reported on the incident.

U.S., Western Embassies in Kyiv Close; Russia Says War Entering ‘New Phase’

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, along with other Western embassies, has temporarily closed due to credible threats of a significant Russian air attack, potentially involving an RS-26 "Rubezh" ballistic missile. Ukrainian intelligence reports indicate that the missile, with a 6,000 km range and a 1.2-ton warhead, could be launched from Kapustin (Astrakhan) toward Kyiv.

The U.S. Embassy cited specific intelligence but did not provide further details, urging American citizens to prepare for immediate sheltering. This precaution follows Ukraine's use of ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian targets, a move Russia views as escalating the conflict. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has described the situation as entering a "new phase" of the war.