Storm Shadow missiles hit a command post in Maryino, Russia

21 November, 2024 Explosion after a Storm Shadow cruise missile hits a Russian command post near the village of Maryino in the Kursk region. November 20, 2024, Russia. Footage from the video of the 413th Separate Battalion of Unmanned Systems "Raid"

In the Kursk region, British Storm Shadow missiles hit a command post near the village of Maryino. The strike was launched on November 20. It was coordinated by the soldiers of the joint detachment of the 78th Separate Air Assault Regiment "Dzhmil" and the "Harpoon" crew of the 413th Separate Battalion of Unmanned Systems.

This was accomplished with the help of a Ukrainian reconnaissance drone, which also recorded the aftermath. The Guardian and Bloomberg reported, citing anonymous sources, that Ukrainian troops had launched the first strikes on military targets in Russia using Storm Shadow missiles provided by the United Kingdom. The Office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom stated that they do not comment on reports of the possible use of Storm Shadow against targets on Russian territory. The media reported earlier that the UK had privately approved permission for Ukraine to strike Russian targets with transferred cruise missiles in response to Russia's deployment of North Korean troops.

The location of the Ukrainian strike on Google Maps

Earlier, the United States also authorized strikes against Russia with its long-range ATACMS missiles, although it has not publicly announced this.

Most likely, the U.S. government's decision prompted the UK government to make its own decision, which politicians have been discussing almost since the introduction of SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles into the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Storm Shadow cruise missile

Strikes by SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles on important targets in the Russian Federation can cause significant losses and contribute to the reduction of the capabilities of the Russian occupation forces. Storm Shadow is designed to overcome air defense systems and destroy important fixed and stationary targets, including underground bunkers, such as those in Maryino.

The 5.1-meter-long missile has a flight weight of up to 1,300 kg and a warhead weight of 450 kg.

Recently, it was reported that France is preparing an additional batch of long-range SCALP missiles and Mistral missiles for Ukraine's air defense.