UK provided Ukraine with dozens more Storm Shadow missiles - Bloomberg
Ukraine received new Storm Shadow missiles from the UK (Illustrative photo: MBDA)
The UK government recently delivered a new batch of long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine. This shipment follows the decision by London to lift restrictions on the Ukrainian Armed Forces' use of this weaponry, reports Bloomberg.
According to a Western news agency, the Storm Shadow missiles were sent to Kyiv following a recent decision by the United States and the UK to allow Ukraine to launch long-range strikes on targets within Russia.
Bloomberg, citing informed sources, reported that dozens of Storm Shadow cruise missiles were delivered to Ukraine.
However, the sources declined to specify when exactly the missiles arrived or provide the exact number, citing security concerns.
The delivery of this new batch of Storm Shadow missiles marks the first under the leadership of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has pledged to continue supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia's military aggression.
"The deliveries, which were not publicly announced, took place several weeks ago and were ordered after Kyiv ran low on the long-range missiles," the sources told Bloomberg on condition of anonymity.
Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory
Last week, Western media reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces had used British Storm Shadow missiles for the first time to strike targets on Russian territory.
On November 23, Global Defense published an article stating that Ukrainian strikes with Storm Shadow missiles targeted a Russian underground military command post in the village of Maryino, located in the Kursk region. As a result, 500 North Korean soldiers and Russian officers were killed.
This occurred just one day after Ukrainian forces launched American-made ATACMS tactical missile systems at a military facility in the Bryansk region.
Ukrainian forces had previously used Storm Shadow missiles against Russian targets in the Black Sea.
Lifting of the taboo on strikes with Western missiles
Officials from the governments of the US and the UK have stated that the decision to allow Ukraine to strike targets in Russia - something Kyiv had long requested - was a response to the deployment of North Korean troops by the Kremlin in its war against Ukraine.
According to media reports, this move is also seen as a way for current US President Joe Biden and his allies to strengthen Ukraine's position in any potential negotiations with Moscow. The possibility of such negotiations is considered in light of promises made by the elected US president, Donald Trump, to quickly end the war between Russia and Ukraine.
For reference, Storm Shadow missiles are air-launched precision-guided weapons with a range of over 250 kilometers. They are capable of flying at low altitudes at high speeds, using a combination of inertial navigation, GPS, and terrain-following systems.
The British government has not disclosed the number of Storm Shadow missiles it has supplied to Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. The last confirmation of such supplies came from the UK Ministry of Defense in April when Rishi Sunak was the Prime Minister.
