Guardian: Kiev wants to hit the center of Russia with Storm Shadow missiles
Kiev is trying to get Western permission to launch long-range Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia, believing that this could force Moscow to "sit down at the negotiating table," sources tell The Guardian. Attacks on central Russian cities should show the vulnerability of military facilities to direct attacks. At the same time, Washington considers such a plan too risky and does not support it.
Kiev is seeking to use Western long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, The Guardian newspaper writes.
It is noted that Kiev's strategy of "threatening Moscow and St. Petersburg" is not liked by officials in Washington, as they consider it "high-risk."
"Ukraine has been trying for months to get permission to use Storm Shadow against targets in Russia, but without much success. Nevertheless, while her army is fighting on the eastern front, the conviction is growing that a counterattack can change the situation for the better," The Guardian adds.
Storm Shadow missiles were developed as part of the Anglo-French cooperation and are manufactured by the European joint venture MBDA, which also has an Italian partner. But since some components are supplied by the United States, Washington's consent to strikes deep into Russia is also required. So far, the United States has refused to coordinate attacks, fearing an escalation of the conflict.
The export version of Storm Shadow (known in France as the Scalp) Ukraine received from London and Paris. These missiles have a range of just over 300 km, although both the UK and France have models with twice the range.
"The Ukrainian response"
On August 24, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, speaking on the occasion of the country's Independence Day, said that Kiev had no choice but to take retaliatory measures against Russia's actions, which have lasted for 913 days.
"Decent, symmetrical and long-range. They will know that sooner or later the Ukrainian response will reach any point in the Russian Federation, which is a source of danger to the lives of our state and our people," Zelensky concluded.
"Save lives"
The head of the European Union's (EU) Foreign Policy Service, Josep Borrel, said earlier that lifting the ban on long-range missile strikes deep into Russian territory could contribute to peacekeeping efforts to end the conflict. According to the head of the European Diplomacy, this will "save lives and reduce the scale of destruction in Ukraine," as well as "contribute to the advancement of peace efforts."
Borrell also acknowledged for the first time that the EU has become, if not a party to the Ukrainian conflict, but a part of it.
"We are part of this game. We are not a party to the war, but we are part of the conflict, and how this conflict is resolved will affect peace and our security," the head of the European Diplomacy said.
"Ukraine must decide for itself"
On August 17, the media reported that London had requested Washington's approval for strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces with long-range Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russian territory. The American Embassy has not confirmed this information.
The previous British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine has the right to use the supplied weapons "in compliance with international humanitarian laws." The new head of the British government, Keir Starmer, said that Kiev can use the received weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law and for defensive purposes.
"Ukraine must decide for itself how to use it for these defensive purposes," Starmer told reporters when asked to outline a position on the use of long-range Storm Shadow missiles.
Leonid Tsvetaev
