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Ukraine can use British Storm Shadows inside Russia, new UK Defense Secretary says

UK Defense Secretary John Healey announces Ukraine can use British-supplied weapons to strike Russian military targets, contradicting earlier reports. ISW says the UK’s weapon use policy remains unclear.

byYuri Zoria

20/07/2024

2 minute read

The Storm Shadow/ Scalp missile. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Ukraine can use British Storm Shadows inside Russia, new UK Defense Secretary says

On July 19, UK Defense Secretary John Healey clarified that Ukraine is permitted to use UK-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russia, countering previous reports that UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles could not be used for strikes within Russia, ISW says.

Healey told BBC that the UK’s provision of weapons to Ukraine for defense of their sovereign country “does not preclude [UK-provided weapons] hitting targets in Russia.” Healey also clarified that Ukrainian forces are allowed to strike military targets in Russia with UK-provided weapons “within the parameters and the bounds of international humanitarian law.”

Healey declined to publicly discuss whether the UK permits Ukrainian forces to strike Russian missile sites in Russia with UK-provided weapons. He emphasized that the UK is engaged in “very intense discussions” with Ukraine.

For most missile launches, Russia uses its strategic bombers operating from air bases hundreds of kilometers inside Russia.

On 10 July, Bloomberg reported that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated Ukraine’s autonomy in deploying Storm Shadow missiles for defense. On 11 July, The Telegraph reported that unnamed UK government sources stated the UK’s policy remains unchanged, confirming that the UK has not authorized Ukraine to use UK-provided Storm Shadow missiles for strikes within Russia.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in discussions with the UK government, highlighted the necessity of striking targets well beyond the border, including Russian military airfields, to effectively defend Ukraine. He also urged the UK to lead efforts in persuading other partners to eliminate restrictions on using Western-supplied weapons against legitimate military targets in Russia.

“The exact contours of the UK’s policy regarding Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow cruise missiles and other UK-provided weapons remain unclear,” ISW concluded.

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