Following the cancellation of a scheduled meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, Ukraine has been granted permission to utilize specific long-range missiles provided by Western allies to target locations deep within Russia, as confirmed by US officials on Wednesday.
This decision involves the removal of a significant restriction, enabling Kyiv to launch strikes with British-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles at strategic sites in Russia, such as a chemical plant in the Bryansk region. The Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces reported the operation as a “successful hit” on social media.
According to Ukrainian forces, the targeted Russian facility is involved in the production of gunpowder, explosives, and components for rocket fuel used in artillery and missiles that have been deployed against Ukraine.
The shift in authority to approve such actions from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to General Alexus Grynkewich, the top US military commander in Europe and NATO, was reported by The Wall Street Journal. This adjustment was made unilaterally by the United States.
Coinciding with this development, UK-manufactured missiles were used on the same day that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders pledged to increase economic and defense pressure on Russia until Putin is willing to engage in peace negotiations.
Recent efforts to arrange talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest were unsuccessful, with Trump expressing his reluctance to engage in unproductive discussions with the Russian leader.
Since early October, Trump has been urging Putin, with whom he last met in Alaska in August, to initiate dialogue aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict.
During a recent journey to Israel, Trump hinted at the possibility of providing Ukraine with Tomahawk missiles if the conflict persisted unresolved, though he later retracted this proposition due to concerns over escalating tensions with Moscow. Russia had previously cautioned that US assistance in launching Tomahawks could be interpreted as direct involvement in the conflict.
The Storm Shadow cruise missile, a joint British-French creation, has a range of over 180 miles and can be deployed from Ukrainian aircraft. The US retains control over the missile’s usage as it relies on American targeting data.