UK’s Storm Shadow Missiles Join the Battle in Russia as North Korean Forces Enter the Conflict

Ukraine has attacked Russian territory using the UK-supplied air-to-surface cruise missile Storm Shadow. This marks the second strike on Russian soil, following the initial attack using the U.S. ATACMS tactical ballistic missile, which has a range of approximately 300 kilometers (186 miles).

According to Bloomberg News, officials have confirmed the British government’s authorization to use Storm Shadow missiles in response to North Korean forces joining the conflict in Russia. A UK government source described this deployment as a “grave escalation.”

Intelligence reports indicate that Storm Shadow missile fragments were discovered in the partially occupied Kursk region of Russia, where Ukraine maintains some territorial control.

This latest strike is the second instance of Ukraine employing Western-provided long-range missiles in Russian territory. Just a day earlier, Ukrainian forces successfully hit targets inside Russia using ATACMS missiles.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer underscored the need to bolster support for Ukraine at the G20 summit on Monday, “We need to make sure Ukraine has what is necessary for as long as necessary because we cannot allow Putin to win this war.”

The spokespersons for the UK Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Defence, and Foreign Office declined to comment on the Storm Shadow missile deployment details, citing operational security concerns.

The Storm Shadow is a sophisticated long-range air-launched cruise missile developed by the United Kingdom and France. It entered service in 2002 and has an operational range of 250 kilometers (155 miles).

France and the UK maintain inventories of 700 to 900 Storm Shadow missiles. Italy and Greece have also integrated these weapons into their arsenals. Reports suggest that India, an emerging military power, has acquired approximately 200 advanced missiles.

The U.S.-made ATACMS is a ground-launched system designed to engage ground targets. Still, the Storm Shadow is an air-launched cruise missile engineered explicitly for precision strikes against high-value ground targets from standoff ranges.