British tanks invade Russian territory

According to Sky News and BBC local time on August 15th, a British source confirmed that the British Challenger 2 main battle tank had crossed into Russia and participated in Ukraine's attack on Kursk, Russia.

According to reports, it is believed that this is the first time a British tank driven by Ukrainian soldiers has fought on Russian territory.

Challenger 2 Tank Data Image Sky News Channel

Sky News pointed out that the details of how and when the Ukrainian military will deploy Challenger 2 tanks in the Kursk region of Russia are currently unclear, and the number of tanks that may be involved is also unclear.

The UK Ministry of Defence refused to comment on the details of the operation, but told Sky News that the policy has not changed. The Ukrainian armed forces have not commented on this either.

The report shows that the British government has confirmed that Ukraine can use British weapons on Russian territory.

After Ukraine invaded Russian territory, British government departments reiterated that Ukraine has the right to use weapons provided by the UK to "defend itself against Russia's illegal attacks".

A British spokesperson added that the actions of the Ukrainian military within Russian territory also apply.

Sky News cited a report from The Times on the 14th local time, stating that former UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace revealed that during his tenure, he had allowed Ukraine to use "any weapon provided by the UK" to strike targets within Russian territory, except for the "Storm Shadow" cruise missile.

He suggested that the same rules apply to Ukraine's actions in Kursk, Russia.

It is reported that the UK agreed to provide Ukraine with 14 Challenger 2 tanks in January 2023. In September of the same year, a Challenger 2 tank was destroyed in Ukrainian territory, marking the first time a Challenger 2 tank had been destroyed in combat.