2023-05-11 14:30:01
- James Gregory
- BBC News
Storm Shadow missiles seen here are mounted on a Royal Air Force Tornado
The United Kingdom has confirmed that it is supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine, which it had requested for its war against the invading Russian forces.
According to the manufacturer, the Storm Shadow cruise missile has a range of more than 250 kilometers.
By comparison, the US-supplied HIMARS used by Ukraine have a range of only about 80 kilometers.
These missiles will give Ukraine new capabilities as it prepares to launch a counterattack against Russia.
These missiles are fired from aircraft, so the long range means that Ukrainian pilots will be able to stay away from the front lines.
Once launched, the Storm Shadow missile descends to a low altitude to avoid detection by enemy radar, before swooping down on its target with the help of its infrared target finder.
The announcement was made in the British House of Commons by Defense Minister Ben Wallace. The decision follows appeals from Ukraine for more weapons from the West.
Wallace said the missiles “will enable Ukraine to push back the Russian forces stationed on the territory of Ukrainian sovereignty.”
He also said the UK took the decision after Russia continued to “down a dark path” of targeting civilians and infrastructure in Ukraine.
“The donation of these missile systems will give Ukraine the best chance to defend itself in the face of Russian brutality,” he said, addressing the members of the Council.
He said the missiles were either “on their way” to the Ukrainians or in their hands, describing the move as a “calculated and proportional step with Russia’s escalatory actions”.
But he warned that the range of the British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles is “not in the same class” as the Russian missile systems – some of Moscow’s missiles can reach further.
image copyright AFP
Ben Wallace said the missile systems would give Ukraine the best chance to defend itself
Citing Ukrainian figures, Wallace accused Russia of committing 70,000 war crimes in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
He said that the crimes include the deportation and arrest of children, in addition to the bombing of civilian infrastructure.
Earlier this year, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stressed that the longer-range missiles would not be used to attack targets within Russia itself.
Addressing a meeting of the European Union, he said, “If we are able to strike at a distance of up to 300 kilometers, the Russian army will not be able to provide defense and will be forced to lose.”
He added, “Ukraine is ready to give any guarantees that your weapons will not participate in attacks on Russian territory.”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said last February that he was ready to send long-range missiles to Ukraine, and the government opened the door to tender for the purchase of those missiles.
Sunak said at the time: “Together we must help Ukraine protect its cities from Russian bombs and Iranian marches. That is why the United Kingdom will be the first country to give Ukraine long-range weapons.”
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Moscow would take an “appropriate” military response if any British-supplied Storm Shadow weapons were used by Ukrainian forces.
The British and French air forces are operating the Storm Shadow missile, which has been used in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya wars.
British-supplied missiles can only be launched from aircraft, but French missiles can be launched from ships and submarines.
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