U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey on Nov. 20 declined to confirm reports that Ukraine used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets within Russia.
"We have seen, over recent weeks, a significant change in the action and in the rhetoric on Ukraine, and Ukraine's action on the battlefield speaks for itself," Healey told members of parliament on Nov. 20.
Healey's comments followed reports that Ukraine struck a military facility in Russia's Bryansk Oblast with Storm Shadows, marking the first time Kyiv has used the long-range British missiles on Russian soil.
Healey did not confirm the reports, but said he had met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov the previous day to discuss "Ukraine's robust response to recent Russian escalations."
Those escalations, Healey said, include Russia's mass attacks against Ukrainian cities and the deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russian forces in Kursk Oblast.
The ministers discussed the U.K.'s plans to continue supporting Ukraine through the end of 2025, Healey said.
"(A)t this point, I am not able to go into any further operational details," he said.
The reported Storm Shadow strike came a day after Ukraine allegedly used U.S.-made ATACMS to attack Russian territory for the first time, following outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden's approval on Nov. 17.
Different versions of Storm Shadow missiles have a range of 250-560 kilometers. Storm Shadows have previously been used to hit Russian military targets in occupied Crimea, a sovereign Ukrainian territory illegally annexed by Russia.
The Kyiv Independent news desk
