Ukraine fired UK ‘Storm Shadow’ missiles at targets inside Russia for the first time on Wednesday. Shortly thereafter, Kyiv reported that on Thursday Russia fired an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Ukraine for the first time in the more than 1,000-day-old war. If confirmed, this would be the first use of an ICBM in active warfare.
There was a “near total silence” from both Number 10—the home of the prime minister—and the Ministry of Defence as reports of a strike began to emerge last night, although it has been confirmed that Labour defence secretary John Healey spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart on Tuesday.
Up to 12 UK-supplied missiles were fired into the Kursk region, according to pro-Russian channels on Telegram, just one day after Ukraine carried out its first strike against Russia with U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles.
Both the UK and the U.S. had previously restricted Ukraine to using their long-range missiles within its own borders. Their greenlighting, said to be in response to Moscow’s deployment of North Korean soldiers, marks a significant escalation in the war with Russia.
Not the best time, then, for ministers to announce that the UK is scrapping five warships, dozens of military helicopters, and a fleet of drones to save money.
The UK’s approval of Ukrainian long-range missile use was reliant on a thumbs up from Joe Biden’s administration. Use of the weapon also relies in part on U.S. navigational data, highlighting the extent of Western involvement in these strikes.
The UK government’s silence following the launch has received backlash from both the Left and the Right, uniting unlikely bedfellows such as former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former Tory culture secretary Nadine Dorries who both stressed that Starmer should have sought parliamentary approval before taking this escalatory step.
Meanwhile, reports suggest that Russian president Vladimir Putin is open to discussing a peace deal with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, although the details of such talks are not yet clear.
