Bloomberg: UK provides Ukraine with more Storm Shadow long-range missiles.
Bloomberg reported on November 3rd that the UK has supplied Ukraine with a new batch of Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles. This move is believed to be aimed at helping Kyiv maintain the ability to strike deep into Russian territory during the winter months.
Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that the latest shipment, in undisclosed quantities, was intended to support Ukraine's long-range offensive operations.
London first announced the transfer of air-launched missiles with a range of over 250km to Kyiv in May 2023.
This information emerged after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, during a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte last month, announced that London was "accelerating its program to supply Ukraine with more than 5,000 light missiles" to put "military pressure" on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In October, Kyiv also announced that it had used Storm Shadow missiles and other weapons to strike an industrial facility deep inside Russia.
For its part, Moscow has repeatedly accused Kyiv of using Western-supplied weapons to target civilian areas and critical infrastructure. In January, Russia said that Storm Shadow and ATACMS missiles (made in the US) had damaged dozens of private homes in the Bryansk region.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in June that Ukraine "would be helpless without the British," and added that London was "100%" involved in the conflict.
Similarly, in March, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused London of giving the "order" for the attack on the Sudzha oil pipeline infrastructure.
Moscow describes the conflict in Ukraine as a "proxy war" waged by the West against Russia. Russian officials also note that sophisticated weapons systems like Storm Shadow cannot be effectively used by Ukrainian forces without the direct involvement of Western military personnel.
