Ukraine launched British Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Russia on Wednesday, marking the second use of new Western weapons to strike targets deep into Russian territory, Reuters reports.
The missile strikes reportedly targeted Russian rear bases in the Kursk region. This came a day after Ukraine fired US-supplied ATACMS missiles, which US President Joe Biden had authorized for use in the war. Russia condemned these attacks, viewing the use of Western weapons deep inside Russian territory as a major escalation, while Ukraine justified the strikes as necessary for self-defense against Russian support bases.
The US embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed due to the threat of potential airstrikes, though it reopened the next day. Meanwhile, the US announced an additional $275 million in military aid to Ukraine, while the Pentagon moved to forgive $4.7 billion in Ukrainian loans. Russia responded by lowering its nuclear use threshold and threatening retaliation against NATO countries aiding Ukraine.
