LONDON, May 11. /TASS/: British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has confirmed that London is sending Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles to Kiev.
While addressing the House of Commons on Thursday, Wallace described the move as "a calibrated and proportionate response to Russia’s escalations." "The use of Storm Shadow will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based within Ukrainian sovereign territory," the British defense chief stated.
He added that he could not go into detail about the missile supplies but it’s clear from what he said that the range of the missiles that are being provided to Kiev stands at 250-300 kilometers. They will complement other long-range systems which have already been gifted to Ukraine, including HIMARS and Harpoon missiles, as well as Ukrainian-made Neptune cruise missiles, Wallace said.
According to him, these weapons will allow Ukraine to deter Russia’s Armed Forces, which, in his words, are targeting Ukrainian civilian infrastructure in breach of international law.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed during a visit to Kiev on February 8 that the UK planned to send "longer-range weapons" to Ukraine.
In late April, the British Defense Ministry issued a procurement notice, inviting suppliers to deliver "missiles or rockets with a range 100-300 km; land, sea or air launch. Payload 20-490 kg." Other desirable requirements included a "low probability of intercept," "mission planning capability," and "air defense penetration methods to increase probability of successful strike." The notice was issued through the International Fund for Ukraine, and the application period ended on May 4.
