UK to provide Ukraine with additional long-range Storm Shadow missiles
The United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with additional long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles so that Kyiv can disrupt Russian military operations targeting the country’s civilian infrastructure before winter.
Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg, Censor.NET reports.
Details of the assistance
Zelenskyy reportedly discussed the British-made missiles for Ukraine with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham during his visit to London on Wednesday, October 14.
According to Bloomberg, Britain considers Ukrainian strikes on Russian military facilities involved in attacks on civilians and energy infrastructure to be defensive. The UK government also does not believe Ukraine should halt its strikes on Russia.
"Russia has ramped up production of jet-powered drones in recent weeks to intensify its attacks on Ukraine, and it is important that Kyiv can counter these efforts," the publication’s sources said.
The UK government has not disclosed how many Storm Shadow missiles it has provided to Ukraine during the war and does not regularly announce such deliveries.
More about the missiles
- Storm Shadow missiles have a range of more than 250 km. They are difficult to detect on radar because they fly relatively low and at high speeds. Britain has been supplying them to Ukraine since 2023.
- Storm Shadow is manufactured by European defence company MBDA. According to the company’s information, SCALP (known in Britain as Storm Shadow) is a long-range, air-launched, air-to-surface cruise missile designed for precision strikes against fixed, heavily protected targets, including fortified bunkers and key infrastructure.
- The missile can be used day and night in all weather conditions. Its guidance system combines inertial navigation, GPS, and terrain referencing. As it approaches the target, its onboard infrared seeker compares the target’s image with a preloaded reference image, ensuring high strike accuracy.
