France and the UK Allow Ukraine to Strike Russian Territory with Long-Range Weapons: Le Figaro

In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that strikes against the Russian Federation using long-range weapons would signify NATO countries' involvement in the conflict with Russia. Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for the Russian president, emphasized on November 11 that weapons supplied by Western countries would not change the dynamics of the special operation.

The decision was made following a similar move by the United States. Earlier, the White House stated that Washington's stance on the use of long-range weapons by Kyiv to strike deep into Russia “had not changed and would not change.”

“The French and the British have given Ukraine permission to strike Russian territory using their Scalp / Storm Shadow missiles,” the report states. An anonymous American official confirmed to AFP the authenticity of reports regarding the White House's decision on long-range weapons.

At the same time, representatives from the American administration, the State Department, and the Pentagon have declined to comment. Earlier, the American newspaper The New York Times (NYT), citing anonymous White House officials, reported that US President Joe Biden had, for the first time, allowed Ukrainian troops to use up to 300 long-range ATACMS missiles to strike Russian territory.

According to NYT, Biden's decision was linked to suspicions regarding the possible presence of North Korean troops in the Kursk region. The publication noted that this “raised the need to bolster the defense of Ukrainian troops.”

On November 15, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that Washington, alongside its allies, would respond to Moscow with “coordinated political decisions” regarding military operations in the special military operation zone in light of the alleged involvement of North Korean military personnel.