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A Stormshadow missile mounted on a RAF Tornado can be seen here
The UK has confirmed it is supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles requested by Ukraine to combat invading Russian forces.
The Stormshadow cruise missile has a range of more than 250km (155 miles), according to the manufacturer.
In contrast, the US-supplied Himal missiles used by Ukraine have a range of only about 80 kilometers (50 miles).
The weapon will give Ukraine a new ability to prepare for a counterattack against Russia.
Because it is launched from an aircraft, its long range means Ukrainian pilots can stay far away from the front lines.
When the Storm Shadow is launched, it descends low to avoid detection by enemy radar, then acquires the target with an infrared seeker.
The announcement was made in the House of Commons by British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. The decision comes after Ukraine’s repeated pleas for more weapons from the West.
Wallace said the missiles “allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based in Ukrainian sovereign territory.”
He said the UK decided to launch the Stormshadow missile after Russia “continued down a dark path” targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.
“The donation of these missile systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend itself against Russian atrocities,” he told parliamentarians.
He said it was “coordinated and proportionate to Russia’s escalation.”
But he warned that the British-supplied Stormshadow’s capabilities were “not on par” with Russia’s own missile systems, and said some of Russia’s weapons boasted significantly longer ranges.
Earlier this year, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov insisted that long-range missiles would not be used to hit targets inside Russia.
“If we can attack from up to 300 kilometers away, the Russian army will be unable to defend and will be forced to lose,” he told an EU conference.
“Ukraine is ready to ensure that your weapons are not involved in attacks on Russian territory.”
In February, British Prime Minister Rishi Snack said he was ready to send long-range missiles to Ukraine, and the British government launched a tender process to procure long-range missiles.
“We must work together to help defend Ukrainian cities from Russian bombs and Iranian drones,” Sunak said at the time. “That’s why the UK will be the first country to provide long-range weapons to Ukraine.”
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would take an “appropriate” military response if British-supplied Storm Shadow weapons were used against Ukrainian forces.
The Stormshadow missile is operated by both the Royal Air Force and the French Air Force and has so far been used in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya.
British-supplied missiles can only be launched from aircraft, while French missiles can be launched from ships and submarines.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his army needs more equipment before counterattack
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