Ukraine hits Russian territory using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles

The Storm Shadow cruise missile is on display during the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, north of Paris, France, on June 19, 2023. [AP/YONHAP] Ukraine attacked Russian territory using British-supplied Storm Shadow air-to-ground missiles for the first time, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, citing a Western official.The official, who requested anonymity in the Bloomberg report, explained that the British government had approved the use of the Storm Shadow in response to the North Korean military’s deployment of troops to Russia. He added that the British government views the North Korean deployment as an escalation of the conflict in Ukraine.The British daily newspaper The Telegraph also reported that fragments of Storm Shadow missiles were found in the village of Marino in the Kursk region of Russia, citing a Russian military blogger, on Wednesday. Kursk is the area where North Korean troops have been deployed.Britain is believed to have followed suit and authorized the use of the Storm Shadow to attack internationally recognized Russian territory after the United States recently lifted restrictions on the use of American-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), tactical ballistic missiles with a range of about 300 kilometers (186 miles), on Russian territory.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who attended the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, said on Monday that “we must strengthen support for Ukraine” and that “we cannot allow Russian President Vladimir Putin to win.”A source told the Financial Times that discussions about using the Storm Shadow took place during informal talks between Western leaders and officials during the G20 summit.The British Prime Minister’s Office and the Defense and Foreign Offices refuse to comment on Ukraines use of the Storm Shadow, citing operational security.The BBC reported that the British cabinet was careful not to appear to have taken the lead in using the Storm Shadow for fear of a strong Russian backlash.British Defense Secretary John Healy said in Parliament on Wednesday that Ukraine’s actions on the battlefield “speak for themselves,” without making any other comments concerning Ukraine.Britain has reportedly been more proactive than the United States in lifting restrictions on Ukraines use of long-range missiles.On Tuesday, Ukraine fired six ATACMS missiles for the first time toward Bryansk, a Russian region that borders Ukraine.The Storm Shadow, jointly developed by Britain and France, is an air-to-ground cruise missile with an operational radius of 250 kilometers. It is considered a powerful weapon for penetrating enemy bunkers and ammunition depots.The BBC pointed out that since Ukraine is unlikely to possess many Storm Shadow missiles, Kyiv must have chosen its targets carefully.It also said the use of Storm Shadow is unlikely to make a big difference on the battlefield because the authorization for their use came too late.Ukraine had long requested the use of Western-made long-range missiles on Russian territory. In the meantime, Russia reportedly moved its bombers, missiles and infrastructure far from the Ukrainian border and out of the Storm Shadow’s range.