BRITISH STORM SHADOW MISSILES FIRED AT RUSSIA

BRITISH Storm Shadow missiles have been fired into Russia for the first time in a dramatic escalation of the Ukraine war.

- Martyn Brown and Michael Knowles

A dozen of the long-range strike weapons were launched by Ukrainian aircraft into the Kursk region, we understand.

Footage showed locals picking up fragments of the bunker-busting rockets in the village of Marino.

It comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer insisted Kyiv must "have what it needs" to defeat Vladimir Putin. It is the second reported Western blitz in days after Moscow said US long-range weapons were fired into its territory on Tuesday. In response, the Russian President lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons, after US President Joe Biden gave the green light for the US Army Tactical Missile System to be used.

Britain had been pressing Mr Biden to allow the use of long-range missiles against targets in Russia for months. Storm Shadow missiles are a nightmare for enemies as they are capable of dodging air defences.

The £800,000 rockets - which were already being fired within Ukraine use GPS to hit targets with precision, travelling at 600mph.