In a show of resolve in defending Ukraine against Russian aggression and to ensure Moscow's deployment of North Korean troops in Kursk did not go unchallenged, the US, along with the UK and France, granted Kyiv permission earlier this month to use long-range weapons to strike Russia. Within 24 hours, Ukraine fired 6 ATACMS missiles into Bryansk and launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles into Kursk the following day. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved changes to the nuclear doctrine, which had been proposed in September this year.

The revised doctrine lowered the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. Russia further retaliated with the test-launch of a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile, Oreshnik, hitting a defence industry production facility in Dnipro. This marked the first time Russia had used medium-range ballistic missiles in combat, opening a new chapter in the conflict and bringing it closer to the brink of nuclear escalation.

Ukraine's request to use American ATACMS and Anglo-French Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles was initially considered by US President Biden in September. However, the request went unanswered after Russia's Security Council proposed updating its nuclear doctrine. With aggressive posturing from Moscow, Kyiv's request to use........

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