Ukraine used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to strike a Russian naval base in Crimea on Friday, Sky News has reported.
The air-launched cruise missiles, jointly developed by Britain and France, were delivered by London and Paris to Ukraine earlier this year. The munition, known in France as SCALP-EG, can travel more than 250km (155 miles).
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol was “damaged,” while five unspecified missiles were destroyed mid-air. The MOD initially stated that one service member had been killed, but later said he was unaccounted for.
UK media reported earlier that Storm Shadow missiles were also used during the attack on a shipyard in Crimea on September 13, when two Russian naval vessels were damaged.
Kiev has repeatedly urged its Western backers to deliver more advanced long-range weapons, arguing that they would be instrumental in gaining the upper hand in its conflict with Russia. Several US news outlets reported on Friday that President Joe Biden had promised Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky that Washington would supply Ukraine with Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which have a range of up to 190 miles, depending on the model.
Moscow has repeatedly warned NATO members that the shipment of heavy weapons and other military aid to Ukraine makes them de facto direct participants in the conflict. Russian officials have also stressed that foreign aid would not change the course of the conflict, and that the Russian Army would employ effective countermeasures against any weapon system.