Video on social networks shows that the Ukrainian Air Force launched 10 Storm Shadow missiles for the first time at a target in Marino, in Russia’s Kursk province.
The Ukrainian Battle Map account, which specializes in reporting on the war in Ukraine, posted a video on November 20 showing at least 10 Storm Shadow cruise missiles crashing down on the target in the village of Maryino in Kursk province, western Russia.
“This is the first time Ukraine has used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to attack targets inside Russian territory,” the account said, adding that the raid appeared to target an underground command post. Russian land.
The video is said to be the moment Storm Shadow missiles rained down on the village of Maryino in Kursk province on November 20. Video: X/Ukraine Battle Map
Russian accounts supporting the Kremlin also reposted this video, saying Ukraine launched about 12 Storm Shadow missiles at a 19th-century estate and now a government-run resort in the village of Maryino. News page RusVesna Russia said the rocket fell at 3:00 p.m. on November 20 and the structure was almost undamaged.
A pro-Kremlin Telegram account posted a photo of an object with the word “Storm Shadow” engraved on it, believed to be fragments of shells recovered after the raid on the village of Maryino.
Sheet Financial Times Britain quoted Western officials as saying Ukraine had launched a number of Storm Shadow cruise missiles at at least one military target on Russian territory. Sources from the British government also confirmed that the Ukrainian army used this long-range missile model for the first time to attack enemy territory.
Newspaper Guardian of Britain said London had given the “green light” for Ukraine to fire Storm Shadow missiles into Russian territory, in response to recent developments on the battlefield. This country previously only allowed Ukraine to launch this type of ammunition at targets in the Russian-controlled area in Donbass.
“This is a very large number of Storm Shadow missiles deployed for a raid. The Ukrainian Air Force usually launches this type of ammunition from Su-24 attacks flying at low altitude and only fires two missiles at a time,” military expert said David Ax. “The scale of the attack suggests it was a very high-value and well-protected target.”
The Ukrainian and Russian armies have not commented on the information. A spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also refused to respond.
The Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missile was jointly developed by the UK and France, has a maximum speed of 1,000 km/h, enough to hit targets at a distance of 250-560 km depending on the variant. This is the cruise missile with the longest range in the Ukrainian air force.
Storm Shadow’s BROACH warhead includes a primary concave explosive charge to penetrate tank armor, reinforced concrete and ground, paving the way for large-sized explosive warheads to penetrate inside and cause maximum damage.
The object is believed to be a fragment of the Storm Shadow missile after the raid on November 20. Image: Telegram/Two Majors
Information that Kiev launched Storm Shadow missiles into enemy territory appeared after the Russian Ministry of Defense said on November 19 that Ukraine had fired 6 ATACMS ballistic missiles donated by the US into Bryansk province. This is the first time Ukraine has attacked a target on Russian soil with Western long-range weapons since the beginning of the conflict.
The move took place immediately after US media reported that President Joe Biden’s administration had given Ukraine the “green light” to do this after a long time preventing Kiev from using long-range weapons donated by the West to raid its territory. Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced that Ukraine’s ATACMS missile launch marked a new stage in the conflict, and accused the West of wanting to escalate tensions. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously announced that Ukraine’s use of Western weapons to raid Russian territory would push NATO into direct conflict with Moscow.