As the war in Ukraine spreads to its northern border with Russia, kyiv is urging Britain and the United States to authorize the use of Western long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory.
Washington and London said they are now considering lifting restrictions to allow Ukraine to attack Russian military sites following a meeting between US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington, DC, on Friday.
Rumours of its use being authorised in Russia have infuriated President Vladimir Putin, who last week said doing so would mean NATO would be “at war” with his country.
In order to use the Storm Shadow missiles, the agreement of the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the United States would be necessary, given their participation in the manufacture of the weapons.
What are Storm Shadow missiles?
The Storm Shadow is a long-range conventional air-launched missile designed to attack high-value fixed or stationary targets.
This is a Franco-British developed weapon produced by MBDA (Matra BAe Dynamics Alenia), a European missile systems company in which Italy also participates. Storm Shadow is produced mainly by MBDA's British division with components from the United States.
The missiles entered service with the UK and French air forces in 2003 and have been used in the Gulf, Iraq and Libya.
Storm Shadow missiles, also known as SCALP in France, weigh around 1,300 kg (2,865 lb), are 5.1 metres (16.7 ft) long and have a range of up to 250 km (155 mi).
Their system uses INS, GPS and terrain referenced navigation, and they are equipped with an explosive/penetrating warhead, meaning they can operate in extreme conditions and can attack hardened or buried targets.
Each missile costs about a million dollars.
What places could Ukraine attack?
Storm Shadow missiles would allow Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russian territory with sufficient force to penetrate bunkers and ammunition depots.
Ukraine could potentially attack towns such as Kursk, Millerovo and Rostov-on-Don.
What other long-range weapons does Ukraine have – and want?
Last May, the UK confirmed it had sent Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, but stressed that they came with strings attached. The weapons were sent to be used only inside Ukraine against Russian targets while the invasion continued. There are two other long-range weapons that Ukraine has and wants.
ATACMS
The Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, fires a long-range, U.S.-made missile with a range of up to 300 km (190 miles).
According to US officials, Washington quietly sent ATACMS missiles with this range to Ukraine as part of a military support package in March and Ukraine has used the weapons twice.
Last year, kyiv also received medium-range ATACMS missiles from the United States. They have a maximum range of 170 km (106 miles).
They can be launched from the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) or from the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), which Ukraine already possesses.
JASSM
The joint air-to-surface missiles, which are fired from F-16 fighter jets, have a range of between 370 and 1,000 kilometers. They have not yet been supplied to Ukraine, but earlier this month, the Reuters news agency cited unnamed U.S. officials as saying the Biden administration could soon announce it would supply JASSM missiles to Ukraine.
The weapons carry 1,000-pound (455-kilogram) warheads. The US says official delivery of the JASSMs could take months, and it is unclear whether Biden would allow Ukraine to fire the missiles at Russia.
