Bloomberg reported on Britain's delivery of a new batch of Storm Shadow missiles to the AFU

A few weeks ago, the UK delivered several dozen more Storm Shadow cruise missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), the first time this has happened since the post of prime minister in the country is held by Keir Starmer. Bloomberg news agency writes about it on November 26, citing sources.

"The deliveries, which have not been publicly reported, occurred several weeks ago and were ordered after Kiev ran out of long-range missiles," the publication says.

The media outlet adds that the shipment of missiles was sent to Ukraine even before Washington authorized Ukraine to launch long-range missiles at targets on Russian territory. The sources refused to name the exact number of Storm Shadow missiles sent for security reasons.

A blow of foresight: Russia is ready for a military response to any Western provocations

How far the U.S. and its allies can go and whether the "red lines" in the Ukrainian conflict are still in place

Earlier, on November 25, the head of the British Defense Ministry John Healey said that the conflict in Ukraine has entered a critical phase, which requires members of the North Atlantic Alliance to strengthen their own defense. On November 22, Alice Weidel, co-chair of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AdG) party, called Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow missiles for strikes against Russia irresponsible. According to her, this leads to further escalation, while it is necessary to seek a diplomatic balance and mutual understanding.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on November 21 that Ukraine had used Western long-range weapons against the Russian state, causing the regional conflict to acquire elements of a global conflict. He also said that in response, Russia had conducted a test of one of Russia's newest medium-range missile systems, the Oreshnik ballistic missile, under combat conditions.

Earlier, on November 17, The New York Times reported that US President Joe Biden had authorized Ukraine to use US long-range missiles to strike Russia. On November 25, the White House confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had permission to use US long-range ATACMS missiles to strike Russia.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the aggravated situation in the region.