UK sent dozens of Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine days before Putin’s nuclear threats | World | News

Britain delivered dozens of additional Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine weeks ago, insiders have claimed.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has consistently reaffirmed his commitment to supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia – but has not officially confirmed the UK is supplying the long-distance weapons, manufactured in this country by MBDA.

The deliveries were not publicly disclosed but were ordered after Kyiv faced a shortage of long-range missiles, said sources, who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity given the highly sensitive nature of the issue. Vladimir Putin has responded to their use by changing the doctrine governing the use of his country’s nuclear weapons.

The missiles were sent prior the US and UK opting to allow Ukraine to target locations inside Russia using long-range weaponry.

The precise timing and quantity of the shipment have not been not revealed, with operational security cited as the reason.

An MoD spokesman said: “We do not comment on operational detail, to do so would only benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

Ukraine used the British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit targets within Russia for the first time last week, as well as US-built Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) against a military site in Russia’s western Bryansk region.

The decisions by London and Washington to green-light such strikes were triggered by the Kremlin’s deployment of North Korean troops to boost its campaign against Ukraine, officials from both governments have suggested.

The move is also seen as an effort by outgoing US President Joe Biden and his allies to strengthen Ukraine’s position prior to likely peace talks next year, particularly as President-elect Donald Trump pledging to end the war within 24 hours of coming into office – without explaining how he would do so.

Speaking before the G20 summit in Brazil on November 20, Sir Keir stressed that his government was “doubling down” on its backing of Ukraine but refrained from providing specific details.

Storm Shadows are precision-guided missiles with a range of more than 155 miles.

The UK government has not revealed exactly how many Storm Shadow missiles it has supplied to Ukraine throughout the conflict and rarely announces such transfers.

Previously, Ukraine previously used the missiles against Russian forces in the Black Sea.

The last time the MoD officially confirmed a delivery of Storm Shadows was in April, during the tenure of Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir’s predecessor as PM.