UK says Russia eyeing use of ballistic missile 'for months' without confirming strike

Russia has been looking to hit Ukraine with a ballistic missile "for months", UK Defence Secretary John Healey said on Thursday, without confirming Kyiv's claim of a strike.

"There are unconfirmed but media reports today of Russia firing a new ballistic missile into Ukraine, which we know they have been preparing for months," he told a parliament's cross-party defence committee.

British media reports on Wednesday said that Ukraine had fired UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles into Russia for the first time, after being given the green light from London.


That has prompted concerns about an escalation in the conflict, and warnings of heavy reprisals from the Kremlin.

Healey told lawmakers that he would not be drawn into operational details of the conflict, after Ukraine said the non-nuclear armed missile hit the central city of Dnipro.

"In the end, the only one that benefits from such a public debate is President Putin," he added.

But he called the current situation in Ukraine "serious". "The front line is now less stable than at any time since the early days of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022," he added.

"We have seen in recent weeks a very clear escalation from Putin and his forces. They have stepped up attacks on the energy system in Ukraine ahead of winter.


"They have stepped up attacks on civilian centres, killing children. They have deployed at least 10,000 North Korean troops to the battle frontline."

He went on: "While the Ukrainian actions on the battlefield speak for themselves, be in no doubt that the UK government is stepping up our support for Ukraine."

Healey said he had reiterated UK backing for Ukraine in a call to his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov on Tuesday and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday, after Washington also authorised the use of long-range missiles.