Russia says it shot down two British-made long-range missiles fired from Ukraine

Russian Defence Ministry said its air defence systems shot down two British-made Storm Shadow missiles, six HIMARS rockets and 67 drones.

It follows after several media reported that Ukraine fired the British-made long-range cruise missiles towards Russia for the first time on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said Russia launched an intercontinental ballistic missile targeting the city of Dnipro overnight on Thursday.

It is the first time Moscow has used such a missile in the war. Although the specific type remains unclear, Ukraine's air force confirmed it was launched from Russia's Astrakhan region.

US authorised long-range missile use

The authorisation of using long-range weapons to strike deeper into Russia had been a key point as part of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 'victory plan', which he presented to Kyiv's allies during a tour of Europe earlier in October.

Last week, US President Joe Biden authorised the use of US-supplied long-range missiles by Ukraine. The decision came in response to the introduction of North Korean troops, who were deployed to battle aside Russia in its war against Ukraine.

Western nations have previously been reluctant to allow the use of the weapons, fearing it could result in an escalation that could draw NATO members into direct conflict with Russia.

Shortly after the US lifted restrictions, Ukraine fired ATACMS missiles at Russia's Bryansk region, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed.