Ukraine Brings War to Russia

Sky News reports that Ukrainian fighter jets have fired missiles at a target on Russian soil for the first time in this war. According to a Ukrainian military source, a Ukrainian warplane fired the first weapon that hit a target inside Russia. According to the source, a "Russian command node" was targeted on Sunday in the Belgorod region of western Russia, near the border with northeastern Ukraine. It was not immediately obvious what type of munition was used in the attack or whether it was a Western weapon. The US and France have stated that Ukrainian armed forces may use their weapons to hit military targets within Russia, from which Russian forces launch strikes against Ukraine. According to new advice signed by President Joe Biden, American weapons can be used on Russian soil to assist in protecting the city of Kharkiv in northern Ukraine. The Russian opposition claimed on social media that the ammo was American and that it targeted the Russian command centre and arsenal. Lord Cameron, the UK foreign secretary, has been less precise, stating that it is up to Ukraine to determine how to deploy British armaments, such as Storm Shadow cruise missiles that Ukrainian jets can launch. Ukraine has launched several drone attacks deep into Russian territory. However, Moscow may view the use of a warplane to strike targets within Russia as a new escalation. The Russian defence ministry reported that its forces had shot down several Ukrainian drones in the Belgorod region. It was unclear if this was part of the same assault.