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UK didn’t allow Storm Shadow use in Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

The UK has not approved Storm Shadow missile use for Ukraine’s Kursk incursion, as Zelenskyy continues to pressure Western allies for permission to use long-range weapons for deeper strikes into Russia.
Storm shadow
Undated Storm Shadow missile launch in Ukraine. Screenshot from a video by Ukraine’s Air Force.
UK didn’t allow Storm Shadow use in Ukraine’s Kursk offensive

According to The Telegraph, the UK government has not given Ukraine approval to use Storm Shadow missiles as part of its ongoing Kursk offensive, according to a government source who stated, “There has been no change.” This comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to pressure Western allies for permission to use long-range weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory.

Amid ongoing Russian offensive actions all across the front line in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Army launched an incursion into Russia’s Kursk Oblast a week ago, currently controlling about 1,000 kilometers, as per Kyiv’s top general.

On 12 August, Zelenskyy said he instructed defense officials and diplomats to “present a list of necessary actions on our part to obtain permission from our partners to use long-range weapons to defend our territory.” During a UK visit last month, he lobbied British PM Keir Starmer to lift restrictions on how the Storm Shadow missile, which has a range of about 250 kilometers, is used.

Storm Shadows against logistics

Ukraine aims to strike airfields and logistics hubs far beyond the front line that Moscow is using to reinforce its position in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.

According to The Telegraph, Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a former British tank commander, suggested that Storm Shadow missiles would be able to strike “rail heads and key roads coming into Kursk, plus any airfields within 100 miles.”

The decision on Storm Shadow missile use is not solely the UK’s to make, as the weapon is manufactured in collaboration with France, giving Paris a say in usage conditions. Kyiv has also requested permission from Washington to use its ATACMS long-range missile during the Kursk offensive, which has so far been refused.

The UK Prime Minister’s spokesman reiterated the UK’s position:

“We have been providing military aid to support Ukraine’s clear right of self-defense against Russia’s illegal attacks in accordance with international humanitarian law. We are clear that equipment provided by the UK is intended for the defense of Ukraine.”

Two Kursks

The Ukrainian president ordered a “humanitarian plan” for Russian citizens in Ukrainian-controlled part of Kursk Oblast, as his forces built hospitals and fortifications for an anticipated occupation.

Zelenskyy noted that the “Kursk disaster” 24 years ago, which claimed the lives of 118 Russian sailors in a submarine accident, marked the beginning of Putin’s rule.

“And now it is clear this is the end for him,” he continued. “And it is also Kursk.”

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