Ukraine has launched British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at targets in Russia‘s Kursk Region, according to a report by the BBC on Wednesday. This development comes after the United States authorized Ukraine to utilize ATACMS missiles for long-range operations against Russia.

Although the UK government has not officially confirmed the use of its missiles against targets within Russia’s internationally recognized borders, the BBC has reported that British officials indicated Defense Secretary John Healey had a conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart on Tuesday evening.

Earlier, Healey had informed Parliament that the UK was “doubling down” on its support for Ukraine, stating that “Ukraine’s actions on the battlefield speak for themselves.” The BBC also mentioned that British ministers are likely to proceed with caution in their responses to these reports, given concerns about potential repercussions from Russia.

Additionally, the broadcaster highlighted several images circulating on Telegram, purportedly showing debris from a Storm Shadow missile in the Kursk Region. While weapons experts consulted by the outlet confirmed that the fragments correspond to the British-supplied missile, they could not verify the timing or location of the images.

Earlier on Wednesday, Bloomberg reported that the UK had authorized the use of Storm Shadows by Ukrainian forces in light of claims that North Korean troops had engaged in combat in Russia’s Kursk Region.

US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller refrained from commenting on the UK’s alleged decision, stating to the BBC that he would not “speak publicly to the use of another country’s weapons.”

The Russian Defense Ministry has yet to verify reports regarding the deployment of Storm Shadows in Kursk. However, various Telegram channels have asserted that as many as 12 missiles supplied by the UK were launched into the area on Wednesday afternoon, all of which were reportedly intercepted by air defense systems.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has previously stated that he received authorization from several Western nations to utilize their long-range missiles against targets within Russia’s interior.

Moscow has cautioned that such actions would signify direct involvement from NATO in the ongoing conflict.

President Vladimir Putin has indicated that the use of Western long-range missiles by Ukraine would fundamentally change the dynamics of the conflict. On Tuesday, he updated Russia’s nuclear doctrine to include conditions under which Moscow might consider employing weapons of mass destruction in response to conventional assaults by proxies of a nuclear-capable nation.