The United Kingdom (UK) has confirmed that it will be sending long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine to boost its defence against Russia. Ukraine has long been requesting such weapons, but other countries have been hesitant to supply them for fear of triggering an escalation. The missiles will be used within Ukrainian sovereign territory and not launched into Russia.
Details of the Deal
The Storm Shadow is a long-range, air-launched cruise missile developed by British Aerospace and a French company that carries a 450kg conventional warhead to a range of up to 200 miles (300km). The missiles are already in Ukraine, according to Sky News, and the UK’s Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, has confirmed that they are going into or are already in the country itself. Wallace said that the donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend itself against Russia’s continued brutality, especially the deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, which is against international law.
Russian Reaction
The move has received a strong reaction from Moscow, which has warned that it will require an “adequate response” from its military. However, Wallace has clarified that the missiles would be used exclusively within Ukrainian sovereign territory and not targeted at Russia. He also pointed out that the Storm Shadow missiles are not in the same league as the Russian AS-24 killjoy hypersonic missile or the Kalibr cruise missile with a range of over 2,000 kilometres, roughly seven times that of a Storm Shadow missile.
In conclusion, the UK’s decision to provide Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles is aimed at boosting Ukraine’s defence against Russia. This move has been welcomed by Ukraine, but has received a strong reaction from Moscow, which has warned of an “adequate response” from its military. However, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has clarified that the missiles will be used exclusively within Ukrainian sovereign territory and not targeted at Russia.
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