**Ukrainian Forces Launch Long-Range Attacks On Russian Targets Following Biden's Approval**

In a significant turn of events, The New York Times revealed on Monday that U.S. President Joe Biden has given the green light for Ukraine to use American-made long-range missiles against Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded swiftly, declaring that the missiles would demonstrate their power without delay.

Within hours, Ukrainian military units fired eight Army Tactical Missile System rockets, each weighing 3,700 pounds and carrying up to a thousand grenade-powered submunitions. The rockets targeted a large Russian ammunition depot in Karachev, located in Bryansk Oblast, approximately 60 miles from the Russia-Ukraine border. The early-morning assault resulted in a blazing inferno, potentially heralding an extended campaign targeting Russian forces' command and supply structures in western Russia's Kursk Oblast.

Following this development, the U.K. and France also permitted Ukraine to use British and French missiles in the conflict. Early Wednesday, Ukrainian air force bombers reportedly deployed 10 Storm Shadow cruise missiles at a site in Maryino, a town situated 25 miles from the border. Although the exact target remains unclear, the substantial scale of the attack suggests it was a high-value, fortified location.

The British Storm Shadow missile, developed by BAE Systems, is specifically designed to destroy hardened structures, such as underground bunkers, with its 880-pound Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge warhead. This advanced missile was previously used by Ukraine in an attack on a Russian navy submarine in Crimea in September 2023.

A Russian blogger speculated that the recent target might have been a command post where Russian and possibly North Korean officers oversee the 50,000 Russian and North Korean troops opposing an estimated 20,000 Ukrainian defenders in Kursk. The blogger lamented the devastating impact on officers and their staff, likening it to an "execution of the defenseless."

This operation may have involved as many as five Ukrainian Su-24 bombers, each equipped with a pair of precision-guided missiles. Many of Ukraine's ex-Soviet Su-24s have been modified to launch Storm Shadows and similar French-made SCALP-EGs, with this task becoming the primary mission of the Ukrainian air force's 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade.

When Russia expanded its military actions against Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainian forces were still using unguided bombs. According to Ukrainian correspondent Yuri Ignat, the air force is now focusing on high-precision Western weaponry for serious strategic tasks. Although launching these advanced missiles from a distance of 190 miles is safer than dropping bombs directly overhead, it does not eliminate the risks involved. Ukrainian pilots often face enemy missiles during these operations, Ignat noted.

Despite the inherent dangers, these high-stakes missile strikes offer significant tactical advantages. While Ukraine is capable of producing large quantities of locally-developed deep-strike weapons, including rockets, drones, and glide bombs, few can match the penetrating power of the British Storm Shadow, an essential asset for breaching fortified command bunkers.