Britain delivered dozens of additional Storm Shadow cruise missiles to weeks ago, insiders have claimed.
Prime Minister has consistently reaffirmed his commitment to supporting in its war against – 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 on condition of anonymity given the highly sensitive nature of the issue. 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 to target locations inside using long-range weaponry.
The precise timing and quantity of the shipment have not been not revealed, with operational security cited as the reason.
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Storm Shadow missiles are understood to have been supplied to Ukraine by the UK (Image: AP)
An MoD spokesman said: “We do not comment on operational detail, to do so would only benefit Russian President .”
used the British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to hit targets within for the first time last week, as well as US-built Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) against a military site in ’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 , officials from both governments have suggested.
The move is also seen as an effort by outgoing US President and his allies to strengthen ’s position prior to likely peace talks next year, particularly as President-elect 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 but refrained from providing specific details.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in Rio (Image: Getty)
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 throughout the conflict and rarely announces such transfers.
Previously, 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 , Sir Keir’s predecessor as PM.