The United Kingdom government has recently delivered a new batch of Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, weapons with which the Ukrainian Air Force has struck various targets inside Russia. As on previous occasions, officials did not provide further details regarding the number of missiles transferred to Ukraine, though it is speculated that the shipment may have been limited, given the British Armed Forces’ constrained stockpile.
According to an exclusive Bloomberg report, the delivery of an unspecified number of Storm Shadow cruise missiles “…was carried out to ensure that Ukraine had the necessary weaponry ahead of the winter months, during which the United Kingdom fears the Kremlin will intensify its attacks against Ukrainian civilians…,” according to sources cited by the outlet.
The provision of long-range projectiles is seen by London as a means of preventing the balance from tipping entirely in Moscow’s favor, since Russian Armed Forces strike Ukraine almost daily with missiles of all kinds, as well as drones. However, Kyiv has also intensified its efforts, as its extensive domestic development of attack drones and missiles has enabled it to step up its campaign against strategic infrastructure within Russian territory.
Regarding the capability to strike Russian targets at long distances, in recent weeks Ukraine and the United States have held talks about Washington possibly supplying Tomahawk cruise missiles — an initiative that has not succeeded due to the reluctance of the Trump administration.
Despite the U.S. refusal, London, like other European allies such as France and Italy, has chosen to maintain its favorable stance toward the delivery of Storm Shadow cruise missiles. This initiative, which began a few years ago, required the development of a testing and certification program, since the Ukrainian Air Force did not initially have aircraft compatible with the missile. This led to a series of modifications and adaptations to Ukraine’s fleet of Su-24M strike aircraft.
The recent delivery of Storm Shadow missiles by the United Kingdom was revealed a few weeks ago, when the Ukrainian Armed Forces “…carried out a massive combined missile and drone strike, including the use of air-launched Storm Shadow missiles, which successfully penetrated the Russian air defense system…,” according to a statement released by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on social media. As reported by Bloomberg, this was the first confirmed use of Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Illustrative cover image. Credits: SAC Simon Armstrong – UK MOD Crown copyright 2021
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