UK Clarifies No Authorization Was Granted for Ukraine to Use Storm Shadow Missiles Inside Russia

Britain has clarified that it has not authorized Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike inside Russia, contrary to what was announced previously by the new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Starmer stated speaking to the Bloomberg journalists that Ukraine can use Britain’s Storm Shadow missiles to target military objectives within Russia.

On Thursday, July 11, Downing Street stated that the British government's policy on the use of long-range weapons transferred to Ukraine "has not changed", despite comments by Starmer.

The British government has permitted Kyiv to use the missiles against targets in Crimea and mainland Ukraine since their delivery last year. However, it has prohibited their use to strike targets inside Russia.

A senior defense source indicated that the situation is "more nuanced" than what Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had indicated on X: “This morning, I learned about the permission to use Storm Shadow missiles against military targets in Russian territory.” 

They further explained that authorization to launch the strategic missile into Russia would necessitate approval from three countries, including the United Kingdom. Storm Shadow missiles are jointly manufactured by France and the UK.