US intelligence block may render Storm Shadow missiles useless for Ukraine
Illustrative photo: Storm Shadow could be rendered useless for Ukraine after US intelligence blocking (Getty Images)
The US decision to halt intelligence sharing with Ukraine could seriously affect the effectiveness of Storm Shadow missiles. Ukraine received these missiles from the United Kingdom, reports Daily Mail.
“Britain's long-range Storm Shadow missiles are feared to have been rendered useless in Ukraine after President Donald Trump blocked US intelligence from being shared with allies,” the media writes.
The UK was among those who were banned from sharing intelligence. British intelligence agencies and military units have received an order that explicitly prohibits sharing intelligence received from the United States, which was previously known as “Rel UKR.”
This could have serious consequences, as the Storm Shadow cruise missiles used by Ukraine to strike Russia require US intelligence to hit their targets.
Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow missiles in Russia
In November last year, Western media reported that the Ukrainian Defense Forces used British Storm Shadow missiles for the first time to strike Russian territory.
At that time, the media reported that 500 North Korean soldiers and Russian officers were killed as a result of a Storm Shadow strike on an underground military command post in the village of Maryino, Kursk region.
The British government did not disclose how many Storm Shadow missiles were provided to Ukraine during the large-scale war. The last time the British Ministry of Defense confirmed the supply of these missiles to Ukraine was in April when Rishi Sunak was the head of the government.
