Ukraine has reportedly deployed UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles against Russian targets, a significant escalation given Russia’s updated nuclear doctrine. -This doctrine now allows for a nuclear response to conventional strikes on Russian soil using weapons from nuclear powers like the UK or the US.

The UK has covertly delivered Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine prior to lifting policy restrictions on targeting Russian territory.

Ukraine launched British-French-made Storm Shadow missiles at targets inside Russia for the first time on Wednesday, according to a Russian military blog and Reuters, a day after Ukraine fired US-made ATACMS missiles into Russia.

Exactly what the Ukrainians were aiming at with the 2,900-pound cruise missiles is unclear. But 10 Storm Shadows is a lot of Storm Shadows. The Ukrainian air force usually fires the missiles from low-flying Sukhoi Su-24 supersonic bombers in pairs.

The first use of British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia marks a turning point in Western resolve to help Ukraine. Whether a decisive intervention or too little, too late, it says a number of things about the state of the war. First, it marks a welcome return to seriousness.

Russian air defence forces have shot down two British Storm Shadow cruise missiles, Russia's Defence Ministry said on Thursday in its daily report on events over the past 24 hours.

British-made Storm Shadow missiles have been fired into Russian territory by Ukraine for the first time. Telegraph readers have said the situation is now “spiralling out of control at an alarming rate”. Ukraine’s defence minister avoided confirming that his country used UK-made long-range missiles at a press conference on Wednesday.

The UK government recently supplied Ukraine with dozens more Storm Shadow cruise missiles, according to people familiar with the matter, a first under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has pledged continued support for the country’s war against Russia.

Ukraine may possess an even larger number of Western missiles, which it can use to conduct strikes deep into Russia. According to Bloomberg, citing its sources, Kyiv is believed to have received a new batch of conventional,

Sir Keir Starmer has not confirmed that the UK is supplying the precision weapons - but they are understood to have been used by Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia last week.