Ukraine is considering altering its war tactics by employing long-range cruise missiles to strike deep into Russian territory. Previously, they have only utilized missiles within their own borders due to the Russian military’s invasion.
First introduced in 1994, the Storm Shadow missile was a joint venture between Matra and British Aerospace. Today, production is handled by MBDA Systems. The weapon is known as ‘Storm Shadow’ in Britain and as SCALP-EG in France.
According to recent reports, the United Kingdom, a significant NATO ally, has authorized Ukraine’s use of the Storm Shadow cruise missile to target Russian territories. This could potentially stretch Moscow’s boundaries in the ongoing conflict.
With the recent developments in Ukraine and its NATO allies, Russia has acknowledged the need to reassess its nuclear doctrine. This decision stems from concerns over the West’s involvement in the Ukrainian conflict.
Amidst the heightened conflict between Russia and Ukraine, a new development has surfaced. It involves an uptick in missile strikes from Russia and a corresponding increase in drone attacks from Ukraine.
Currently, there are limitations on deploying sophisticated western arms against Russian targets. However, it appears that this may soon be revised as clearances have been supposedly granted by the UK.
While Ukraine currently possesses the Storm Shadow missile, it is solely used within its borders to engage Russian forces.
The Storm Shadow is a stealthy, high-altitude cruise missile with a range of approximately 500 km. This collaborative weapon was created by the UK and France and has been successfully incorporated into Ukrainian fighter planes. Interestingly, it can even be found on Russia-made Su-24 bombers, a reminder of Ukraine’s history as part of the Soviet Union.
The recent allowance of exporting long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine raises questions as it seemingly goes against the regulations of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).
The MTCR, of which the UK is a founding member, prohibits the export of missiles with a range over 300 km and a payload capacity above 500 kg. However, even though the Storm Shadow missile has a warhead under 500 kg, it exceeds the maximum allowed range according to MTCR regulations.
If Ukraine is granted permission to launch cruise missiles at Russian territory, there could be a significant response from Moscow. The global concern is that in this situation, Russia may contemplate using nuclear weapons.
Moscow has announced the need for revisions to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, without disclosing the specific details of these changes. These modifications pertain to the policy surrounding the use of their nuclear weapons.
According to spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin has attributed Russia’s revision of its nuclear doctrine to the “collective actions” of Western countries in Ukraine. This statement was made earlier this month.
Mr. Peskov said that Moscow anticipates the possibility of Ukraine utilizing long-range missiles and other instruments provided by the United States and its NATO partners to strike deep into Russian territory. He also mentioned that this is quite evident and that they are factoring it in their plans.
