Ukraine war: Can UK’s Storm Shadow missiles change the battle?

On 11 May, the UK authorities confirmed it had donated an undisclosed fig of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.

The Storm Shadow cruise rocket has a scope of implicit 150 miles - triple the scope of the missiles Ukraine has utilized up to now.

This makes it easier for Ukraine to motorboat precision strikes against Russian high-value targets that were antecedently beyond reach.

With a constricted fig of Storm Shadows available, Ukraine is apt to absorption their usage connected Russian subject assets wrong occupied areas.

Given the missile's range, Russian subject planners volition again request to see however to amended support logistics, bid and power centres, and instrumentality stationed down the frontline.

Plus, Storm Shadow missiles tin penetrate hardened craft hangers - truthful Russia's airbases volition beryllium much susceptible successful occupied areas of Ukraine. As a result, Russia whitethorn gully backmost immoderate of its aerial defences, says Ben Barry, a elder chap for onshore warfare astatine the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Ukraine's Soviet-era Su-24 Fencer pitchy fighters person been equipped with the missile and crucially, volition truthful beryllium capable to motorboat surgical strikes from a safer distance.

We whitethorn already beryllium seeing the interaction of the Storm Shadow missiles.

The BBC is incapable to verify these claims.

Ukraine has not confirmed circumstantial Storm Shadow strikes. However, it precocious claimed to person hit a Russian subject headquarters located heavy wrong the Southern Eastern portion of Zaporizhzhia, astatine the Port metropolis of Berdiansk.

Whilst the BBC is incapable to verify this attack, Ukraine is intelligibly determined to dislocate Russia's warfare instrumentality - and Russia's Defence Ministry is present acutely alert that Ukraine is capable to prosecute longer scope attacks.

In July 2022, the US proviso of Himars rockets empowered Ukraine to deed targets up to 50 miles away.

These strikes caused Russia to determination backmost and disperse logistics retired of the missile's range.

Ukrainian strikes connected the Antonivka Road Bridge besides stopped Russia resupplying its forces occupying Kherson city, forcing them to retreat crossed the Dnipro River.

Himars are also, successful part, credited for a Ukrainian displacement to Western-style flexibility successful tactics.

Ukraine is apt to person less Storm Shadow missiles than it has Himars - but it should inactive beryllium amended capable to disrupt Russia's conflict rhythm.

As J Andrés Gannon, a information adept astatine the US Council connected Foreign Relations, says: "If Russia has to give much resources to protecting bid and logistic hubs oregon decides to propulsion them further from the frontlines that volition importantly dilatory guardant moving operations."

And portion Himars person proven highly effectual against static positions, they are reported to beryllium incapable to deed moveable targets, similar ground-based aerial defences that are mounted connected vehicles.

Storm Shadow whitethorn truthful assistance bladed retired Russian aerial defences crossed occupied areas of Ukraine and undermine Russian aerial powerfulness up of an anticipated counter-offensive, peculiarly making beingness easier for Ukrainian crushed forces.

There are, however, governmental limits for the UK-supplied missile. While connected insubstantial it tin deed targets wrong Russia, Ukraine volition person agreed not to usage it against subject assets wrong the Russian Federation - oregon adjacent conscionable implicit the borderline - to debar escalating the war.

Russia and Ukraine some look the situation of sustaining what has go a warfare of attrition.

The West's resoluteness to enactment Ukraine remains, but its quality to proviso precocious missiles and aerial defences are not infinite.

Ukraine volition retrieve that erstwhile the UK pledged to nonstop its main conflict tank, Challenger 2, the US and European countries followed successful supplying Western tanks to Ukraine.

The Storm Shadow whitethorn acceptable different Western precedent.