British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced that the United Kingdom is sending long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Kyiv, according to local media reports. Wallace stated that this donation of weapon systems provides Ukraine with the best opportunity to defend itself. CNN also reported that the United Kingdom has begun supplying Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, citing senior Western officials. A US official mentioned that this missile represents a significant change in terms of range and provides Kyiv with a capability it has been requesting since the beginning of the conflict with Russia.
It has been reported that the British government received assurances from Ukraine that these missiles would only be used within Ukrainian territory and not against Russia. The Storm Shadow is a stealthy cruise missile with a range of over 250 kilometers and was developed in collaboration between the United Kingdom and France. It is typically launched from the air. It is worth noting that the current maximum range of the weapons supplied by the United States to Ukraine is approximately 79 kilometers.
The supply of long-range missiles to Kyiv by the United Kingdom has been deemed “very negative” by Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who warned that it would require an appropriate response from Russian military forces. Both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of the Russian private military group Wagner, have stated that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has already begun, leading to increasing tensions between the conflicting parties.
In summary, the United Kingdom is sending long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine to strengthen its defensive capabilities, which has raised concerns and warnings from Russia. The supply of these missiles comes amid escalating tensions and declarations of a Ukrainian counteroffensive.