Ukraine uses British missiles to strike Putin's Kursk estate
Ukraine has used British Storm Shadow missiles for the first time to attack military targets in Russia, reports the Financial Times, citing Western officials. The target was reportedly Putin's estate in the Kursk region. Kyiv issued a brief and enigmatic statement on the matter.
According to the Financial Times, the attack followed Ukraine's initial use of American long-range ATACMS missiles on Russian territory on Tuesday.
Attack on estate managed by Putin
A Western official informed about Kyiv's attack on the Kursk region said that "many missiles were launched at at least one Russian military target."
Downing Street, the Ministry of Defence, and the Foreign Office declined to comment on the matter, citing "operational reasons."
The missiles fell on the village of Maryino in the Kursk region. The region's governor, Alexei Smirnov, stated that Russian air defence systems shot down two Ukrainian missiles. However, he did not specify their type.
According to the Defense Express portal, the target of the attack could have been the "Maryino" estate, managed by Vladimir Putin, which houses an underground command post.
"It is possible that North Korean generals were present there during the attack," it reads.
Kyiv's concise statement
The pro-Russian Mash channel claims that the site has been cordoned off by services, and specialists are working on-site. In October, Ukrainians had already struck this place, causing a shockwave that damaged the building.
Referring to these reports, Yuriy Ignat, a representative of the Ukrainian Air Force, wrote on Facebook that a "strong storm" crossed the Kursk region.
Russia changes its nuclear doctrine
For months, Kyiv has been appealing to Western allies for the ability to use their long-range weapons to attack Russian territory.
An informant of the Financial Times claims that Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow missiles and their French equivalent, Scalp, was a topic of informal discussions among Western officials on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Biden's decision to authorise the use of ATACMS was made two months before President-elect Donald Trump took office, who announced a speedy end to the conflict.
In response to this, on Tuesday, Russia officially changed its military doctrine, lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons.
