UK Privately Backs Ukraine's Call to Use Storm Shadow Missiles Inside Russia, But Hesitant to Secure US Approval

Ukraine has been pushing for the right to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets inside Russia, a move championed as crucial for the war effort. The UK has privately backed this call, but is hesitant to give Ukraine the green light without first securing US approval. This comes as the UK's Labour Party has replaced the Tory government, which was aggressively advocating for more advanced weapons for Ukraine.

Key Takeaways:

• The UK has privately backed Ukraine's call to use Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia, but wants to secure US approval first.
• Ukraine relies on American intelligence and systems for the strikes, giving the US some say in the decision.
• The US has long cited concerns of escalation with Russia when it comes to delivering devastating and long-range munitions to Kyiv.
• Storm Shadow missiles have been touted as one of Ukraine's most effective tools in the war, with an accuracy rate of almost 100%.
• The UK allowed Ukraine to hit Russian ships and naval facilities in Crimea with Storm Shadow missiles in 2023, marking one of the first major Western endorsements of deep strikes.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the US and UK to lift the ban on using Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia, saying it's a severe handicap in the war effort.
• France, which also delivers Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, has been supportive of allowing Kyiv to strike deep into Russia.

Statistics:

• Storm Shadow missiles have a range of about 155 miles.
• The missiles need US intelligence and reconnaissance to circumvent Russian GPS jamming.
• The UK has been hesitant to give Ukraine permission to use Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia due to concerns about US approval.
• Ukraine has been relying on American intelligence and systems for the strikes, giving the US some say in the decision (per multiple reports).
• The UK's Labour Party has replaced the Tory government, which was aggressively advocating for more advanced weapons for Ukraine.

Sources:

• (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/08/27/uk-backs-ukraine-use-storm-shadow-missiles-russia/)
• (https://www.ft.com/content/274d8994-c0fb-4f9b-8572-0ffb00b5de23)
• (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2024/jul/19/volodymyr-zelenskiy-cabinet-russia-sanctions-keir-starmer-uk-politics-live)
• (https://www.businessinsider.com/uk-labour-party-back-in-power-rishi-sunak-concede-defeat-2024-7)
• (https://www.businessinsider.com/storm-shadow-missile-central-to-ukraine-counter-offensive-expert-2023-6)
• (https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2023-06-26/debates/EF532F39-3608-4471-B004-90357E338835/details#contribution-117F2255-1F0D-4AC2-A98A-827F9DBF1D7B)
• (https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-said-storm-shadow-missiles-not-doing-critical-damage-russia-2023-7)
• (https://www.businessinsider.com/atacms-ukraine-could-make-crimea-militarily-worthless-russia-expert-2024-4)
• (https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-missile-attack-shows-us-must-drop-weapon-restrictions-ukraine-2024-8)
• (https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-macron-weapons-e308755a31716ee0123b441bb9b548b0)
• (https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-cant-use-storm-shadow-inside-russia-us-standing-way-2024-8)