Washington Post: Britain likely preparing to send long-range missiles to Ukraine
Photo: open sources
Great Britain is probably ready to send long-range missiles to Ukraine. It will likely refer to the Storm Shadow air–launched cruise missile system.
The Washington Post writes about this with reference to the procurement notice posted by the International Fund for Ukraine on May 2.
As reported in the publication, in this document, the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom asked for an "expression of interest" in the provision of strike weapons with a range of up to 300 kilometers.
The message asked for a response within three days. The publication, citing a British official, writes that no final decision has been made.
However, the announcement is a significant step towards the UK supplying such munitions itself. It is also reported that the requested characteristics correspond to the Storm Shadow air-based cruise missiles.
The Washington Post notes that Ukraine has long been asking Western countries to provide it with longer-range missiles. Kyiv claims that such weapons can change the course of the war, enabling Ukrainian troops to strike:
- Russian command centers,
- supply lines,
- ammunition and fuel warehouses in the depths of Crimea and the temporarily occupied territory in the east of Ukraine.
The publication notes that since Kyiv is preparing to launch a major counteroffensive in the next few weeks, the ability to strike far behind the front line will help clear the way for a ground offensive by tanks and infantry.
It is also reported that Storm Shadows can be installed on Soviet-made Ukrainian jets. Such missiles can reach Russian territory. At the same time, Kyiv promises the West not to use donor weapons for strikes against Russia.
It should be noted that the very fear that Ukraine will fire missiles at targets in the Russian Federation is the key reason why the USA has repeatedly rejected Kyiv's request for the supply of American long-range ammunition.
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