Great Britain Institute: Ukraine uses cruise missiles against Russia

According to a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukraine has apparently used Western-made cruise missiles against targets in Russia for the first time, following the use of long-range missiles. In the report by the Washington-based think tank, which is based on footage taken after the attack, the headquarters for the Kursk counter-offensive was hit on Wednesday night. According to the report, the Russian-North Korean headquarters in the city of Marjino was "successfully" attacked with British Storm Shadow cruise missiles and combat drones.

In its analysis, the institute refers to footage taken after the alleged attack, which is said to have been aimed at the Barjatinski estate in Marjino. Russia's army has gathered almost 50,000 soldiers near Kursk, including around 10,000 North Koreans, for a counter-offensive to recapture the territories occupied by Ukrainian troops since the summer.

Following Washington's decision to allow Ukraine to use long-range weapons against targets on Russian territory, there was also speculation about the deployment of similar weapons systems from the UK. The government in London initially refused to comment on this.

"We are using all means of defense"

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov also refused to confirm or deny the possible deployment of the Storm Shadow weapon system. "We are using all means to defend our country, so we will not reveal any details," he told US broadcaster CNN. "But we are making it clear that we are capable and able to counterattack."

The air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles have a range of more than 250 kilometers and can be used for precision attacks on targets such as bunkers and critical infrastructure. They are identical in design to the French Scalp missiles.

Prior to the reported attack in Marjino, Ukraine had fired at a Russian weapons depot in the Bryansk region with long-range American ATACMS missiles. The General Staff in Kiev confirmed an attack on a Russian ammunition depot near the city of Karachev.

Ukraine continues evacuation in the east

Russian troops are continuing to put heavy pressure on the Ukrainian defenders in the Donetsk region. Meanwhile, the evacuation of civilians continues there. The Ukrainian authorities have already moved 1.17 million civilians from the parts of the Donetsk region under their control to other parts of Ukraine since the beginning of August, according to the regional military administration as reported by the Ukrinform agency. There are currently almost 324,000 civilians in the area that Russia still wants to bring under its control.

The heavily contested hotspots of Pokrovsk and Kurakhove are located in the Donetsk region. Russian troops have recently made territorial gains there, and the Ukrainian military leadership fears further setbacks.

The General Staff in Kiev reported that 33 Russian attacks with the support of artillery and fighter planes were registered near Pokrovsk alone on Tuesday. "The situation is difficult, but under control," it said. According to the report, Russian units launched a total of 23 attacks against the Ukrainian defense lines near Kurakhove. As a rule, it is almost impossible to independently verify the information provided by the warring parties.

Selenskyj: Panic only helps Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the people of Ukraine not to panic. "The informational charge that was made today, the panicked messages that were sent out, all of this only helps Russia," he said in his evening video message. Russia is of course a "crazy neighbor", but this is just as true on the 1,001st day of war as on any other day of war before. The Ukrainians, on the other hand, should not let themselves be driven crazy - the air defenses will be further strengthened, he said.

Selensky made his statements against the backdrop of the closure of some embassies in Kiev, which had fueled unrest among the population. Many of his compatriots are increasingly concerned that Russia could escalate the war once again after Ukraine used extensive Western weapons against Russian territory, according to officially unconfirmed media reports. Moscow had already massively bombarded Kiev with missiles at the weekend, i.e. even before Ukraine is said to have attacked Russia with ATACMS missiles for the first time.

New weapons package from the USA

In his video message, Zelensky also reported on further military aid for his country. The US government has provided an arms package worth 275 million dollars. In addition to drones, artillery shells and Himars missiles, the package also includes mines, which Zelensky described as particularly important for defending against Russian attacks in the east of the country. Shortly beforehand, the White House had ordered the delivery of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine in order to facilitate the defense of the threatened front sections in the east of the country.

Merkel did not want Ukraine to join Nato quickly

During her time in office, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel tried to put the brakes on Ukraine's desire to join Nato quickly because, in her own words, she feared a military response from Russia even back then. This is how the 70-year-old Christian Democrat describes it in her memoirs with the programmatic title "Freedom", which will be published on Tuesday and from which "Die Zeit" has published an excerpt in advance. Merkel's policy towards Ukraine is still held against her in Kiev today.

At the decisive NATO summit in Bucharest in 2008, the candidate status of Ukraine and Georgia was rejected. In the end, a compromise was reached, but it came at a price, as Merkel writes: "The fact that Georgia and Ukraine did not receive a commitment for MAP status (candidate status) was a 'no' to their hopes. For (Kremlin leader Vladimir) Putin, the fact that Nato also held out the prospect of a general commitment to their membership was a yes to Nato membership for both countries, a declaration of war."

Ukraine still hopes to become a member of Nato today, and President Zelensky has made his country's admission to the alliance a central part of his so-called victory plan. Although Nato has repeatedly reaffirmed its support for Ukraine, the country is unlikely to join as long as it remains in a state of war.

SDA