Several missiles were launched against at least one Russian military target, the Financial Times reported, citing an unnamed Western official. Government sources also confirmed the first use of long-range missiles by Ukraine against Russian territory.
The Guardian reported that Britain allowed Ukraine to use missiles in Russia in response to Moscow's deployment of North Korean troops on the Russia-Ukraine border.
Dozens of Storm Shadow missiles were fired at a target in the border region of Russia's Kursk province, which is partly controlled by Ukrainian forces, Russian military bloggers reported.
Ukrainian media have released drone footage showing a series of explosions in the Maryino countryside.
British missile strikes on Russian territory may have targeted an underground military command center, according to Ukrainian media.
The Storm Shadow missile attack came after the US allowed Ukraine to use its ATACMS missiles to attack military targets in Russia. On November 19, Russia said the US-made missile targeted a military facility in the Bryansk border region.
The attacks come as Russia seeks to retaliate against Ukraine for firing long-range missiles supplied by the United States into Russian territory. Russia has stepped up missile attacks in recent days, targeting residential areas and Ukraine’s energy grid.
On the morning of November 20, the US announced that it was temporarily closing its diplomatic mission in Kiev after receiving “information about a possible major airstrike.” Canada, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Spain – all NATO members – also made similar moves.
On the evening of November 20, the US Embassy in Kiev said it would reopen on November 21.
