Britain moves first to supply Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles

LONDON, May 11 (Reuters) – Britain on Thursday became the first country to start supplying long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine. This would allow Ukrainian forces to attack Russian forces and supply dumps deep behind the front lines.

Ukraine has been seeking long-range missiles for months, but support from other allies such as Britain and the United States has so far been limited to short-range weapons.

UK Defense Minister Ben Wallace highlighted actions he claimed to have deliberately targeted civilians, saying: “Russia should realize that it was through its own actions alone that it had come to provide such a system. ‘, he said in parliament.

Mr Wallace said the UK was supplying Stormshadow missiles to Ukraine for use on Ukrainian territory, and had assurances from Ukraine that they would not be used to target Russian territory. suggested.

He said the missile “is now entering or is entering the country itself.”

The Kremlin earlier said that if Britain provided these missiles, it would require an “appropriate response by our armed forces”.

Over the past few days, Russia has launched a series of long-range missile attacks against Ukraine. The government has previously said such attacks were aimed at reducing Kiev’s combat capabilities and did not intentionally target civilians.

Ukraine is expected to launch a counteroffensive soon after holding out its forces for six months. Russia launched a major winter offensive, but failed to capture significant territory.

tank and pilot training

Manufactured by European missile maker MBDA, the Storm Shadow is an air-launched long-range missile designed to strike high-value targets such as hardened bunkers, with a range of over 250 km (155 miles).

Sidarth Kaushal, a seapower researcher at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, said the British decision to supply Storm Shadows was important to the Ukrainian military in two ways.

Kaushal said Russia’s ammunition depots had been re-deployed last year after the Russian military adapted to the introduction of the U.S.-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and moved it out of range by about 70 kilometers (45 miles). He said he would put it in range.

Second, it said Storm Shadow could be used to target Russian ships in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, which is important as the Russian navy is involved in attacks across Ukraine. said.

Britain is the second largest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States, providing aid worth £2.3 billion ($2.9 billion) last year.

Although this is well below the amount supplied by the United States, Britain was the first country to supply Ukraine with more sophisticated weapons in the past.

Britain sent its first shoulder-launched anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in preparation for the invasion, and announced in February that it would become the first country to begin training Ukrainian pilots in NATO fighter jets.

Britain announced in January that it would send 14 of its own tanks to Ukraine, a pledge followed by other countries, including the United States and Germany.

Wallace said Britain’s supply of Storm Shadows is enough to meet current demand in Ukraine.

He also cited a possible second wave of missile deliveries from the UK-led Group of European Nations, which last week announced to companies its intention to supply Ukraine with missiles with a maximum range of 300 kilometers (190 miles). asked to do.

Wallace said one of the main challenges in arms supply is finding a way to integrate British and French designed weapons into the Russian-designed aircraft used by the Ukrainian military.

The longest-range weapon the United States has announced so far is the Ground-Launched Small Gauge Bomb (GLSDB), which has a range of about 150 kilometers.

The U.S. has so far issued a 297-kilometer-range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missile over concerns that Ukraine might use it to strike within Russia’s internationally recognized borders. Refusing to supply to Ukraine.

The UK said it always assesses risks of provocation or escalation when deciding what to send to Ukraine.

Reported by William James.Editing: Kate Holton

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