It was reported on the 11th that the United Kingdom has supplied long-range missiles to Ukraine, which is preparing a counterattack against Russia. The weapons are known to be capable of striking as far as the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.
On the same day, the US CNN network reported that the UK provided Ukraine with the long-range missile 'Storm Shadow.' Citing multiple senior officials, CNN stated that the UK delivered several Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine. The Storm Shadow, a stealth-capable missile jointly developed by the UK and France, is generally launched from the air via fighter jets and has a range of over 250 km.
This range is similar to that of the ATACMS long-range missile (approximately 298 km), which President Volodymyr Zelensky has continuously requested from the US. It is more than three times longer than the 80 km maximum range of the HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket System) weapons sent by the US to Ukraine.
CNN reported, "This missile deployment comes as the Ukrainian military prepares a counteroffensive to reclaim Russian-occupied territories in the east and south," adding that "UK officials have frequently made public statements describing Crimea as 'illegally annexed' and recognize it as Ukrainian territory," implying strikes on the Crimean Peninsula. This means that with the UK's provision of Storm Shadow missiles, Ukraine now possesses long-range firepower as it strongly expresses its determination to retake Crimea, which was seized by Russia in 2014.
Previously, the UK was also the first Western ally to pledge to provide Ukraine with main battle tanks. While the US has refrained from supplying weapons capable of attacking Russian mainland due to concerns over escalation, the UK's provision of long-range missiles is significant. However, local media reported that the UK Ministry of Defence declined to make an official comment on this matter.
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