The UK government announced on May 11 that it has donated an unspecified number of conventionally armed Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles to Ukraine, with the combat-proven, advanced long-range deep strike weapon – which boasts an operational range of more than 250km – believed to be the longest-range stand-off missile to be delivered to the war-torn nation since Russia launched its invasion in February 2022.
While the UK government had previously suggested it was looking to supply Ukraine with longer-range precision strike capabilities, it wasn’t until May 11 that UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed that the munitions in question was the MBDA-developed Storm Shadow cruise missile. Announcing the move to the House of Commons, he explained how Storm Shadow compliments the other long-range weapons that have already been donated – including HIMARS and Harpoon anti-ship missiles, as well as Ukraine’s domestically developed R-360 Neptune cruise missile – to help defend the nation from Russian forces.
He said: “The donation of these weapon systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russia’s continued brutality. Especially, the deliberate targetin…
