In an interview with Times Radio, the UK has not ruled out the possibility of transferring Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, said the British Ministry of Defense, Ben Wallace. “I’m not going to speculate about the types of weapons being supplied. Russia would like to know what weapons we can transfer to Ukraine to support it. We will discuss that with the Ukrainians based on their needs and technical capabilities,” Wallace said.
In turn, the British minister emphasized that the possible supply of American Patriot missile systems to Ukraine would be essential in the war. “If the US does this, it’s a significant step,” Wallace emphasized.
The Times reports that sources in the Ukrainian Defence Ministry confirmed that Kyiv is ready to use the missiles to strike annexed Crimea.
Harpoon missiles cost about £1.2 million each and have a maximum range of 240 kilometres. The Storm Shadow missiles cost about £2.2 million and can hit targets up to 560 kilometres away, although modified versions for export have a much shorter range.
The agency notes that negotiations are currently underway to decide how many British long-range missiles can be sent, despite previous fears that allowing Ukraine to launch cross-border strikes against Russia could lead to an escalation of the conflict.
Harpoon anti-ship missiles have previously been provided to Ukraine by Denmark, and they can be adapted to be launched from trucks, although they will be less accurate when attacking ground targets. The Storm Shadow missiles can also be launched from the ground, but it is more likely that they will be mounted on Ukrainian aircraft.
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