UK government to supply Storm Shadow long-range missiles to Ukraine | AFP

In a speech to Parliament, UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announces that the UK government will supply Storm Shadow long-range missiles to Ukraine to use in its war againt Russia. By doing so, the UK will become the first country to provide longer-range weapons to Kyiv. "I can confirm that the UK is donating Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine," says Ben Wallace. SOUNDBITE

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[badass]

Russian supply lines will again be struggling

[joso]

See the Tories aren't all bad - they've got Ben Wallace and erm... Ben Wallace and....

[anthonycastallano]

Why ? Must the uk involve itself in zelenskys war..

[evgeniybastrykov]

Ukraine is very grateful to the British for the help, such weapons will help the Ukrainian army to recover the territories captured by the occupiers, as well as to significantly complicate logistics and reduce the reserves of Russian troops in Ukraine

[anhconroy]

If we don't want to see Putin and his army in Europe, we must help Ukraine with arms until it wins.

[orvalprosacco]

We must support Ukraine and send her as many weapons as she needs. She must win this year and no other way! There is no need to prolong the conflict.

[jimfish]

What's the carbon footprint of one of these i wonder, ?

[Fuzzybeanerizer]

(My apologies to Cat Stevens)

Yes, I'm being followed by a Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow, Storm Shadow
Running and hiding from a Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow, Storm Shadow

And if I ever lose command
Lose all of that stolen land
Oh, if I ever lose command
Oh, I won't be alive no more

And if I lose a zillion guys
If my ammo all runs dry
Yes, if I lose a zillion guys
Oh, I won't be alive no more

Yes, I'm being followed by a Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow, Storm Shadow
Running and hiding from a Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow, Storm Shadow

And if China I start to beg
After setting off this powder keg
Oh, if China I start to beg
Oh, I won't be alive no more

And if I finally lose Crimea
Heaven forbid that idea
But if I finally lose Crimea
I won't be alive no more

Did it take long to find me?
I ask the silent drone
Oh, did it take long to find me?
And are you gonna blast my home?

I'm being followed by a Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow, Storm Shadow
Running and hiding from a Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow, Storm Shadow

Storm Shadow, Storm Shadow
Storm Shadow, Storm Shadow

[monsieurfoupierre]

it's all fun until we get hit back

[kyemossman]

Why do we feel the need to announce our moves?

[melidareichert]

The UK's decision to provide Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles reflects their understanding of the gravity of the situation and their willingness to contribute to the country's defense

[ayobammeke]

Unethical ways to make money: buy stock in the companies that manufacture these missiles

[TacoGrande]

Storm Shadow missile? Are you on Cobra's side or GI Joe's? That should have been renamed to the Snake Eyes missile. ;-)

[hholton]

These missiles give Ukraine the best chance to embroil the UK deeper into this war. So glad I'm past call up age.

[melidareichert]

With this new capability, the AFU will have the means to dismantle the occupier's weapons depots and disrupt their logistical networks

[andreadesenibus]

This guy is great!! Unfortunately he is english and not italian 😅

[SrInsane]

Russian: we have nukes 🤣🤣🤣 poor russia..

[brittcrona]

Great news. А long-range weapons are badly needed for Ukraine to win. The rest of Ukraine's allies should follow Britain's example

[pannochka]

So there comes the 3rd world war. The world learns nothing and history keeps repeating itself😢

[stephenhall]

This is by far the most stupid thing done by Wallace among many starting with MR270s early in the conflict, more ammunition than we can afford, EW equipment he has not described and a few Challenger 2 tanks without reactive armour and limited rate firing mechanical breaches. It is a waste of tax payer money showing poor understanding of how weapons are thrashed in Ukraine -- maybe because Zelenskyy gets them for free.
In a way one must feel sorry for the rather dim Minister because he has proceeded as a result of Sunak wanting to 'cut a dash' at the shambolic Munich 'show' some weeks ago and quite possibly not by choice as Wallace knows that when Kiev makes a promise about use of weapons within NATO defensive agreed rules the promise is broken almost immediately.
He could have stated that the missiles being sent are the export version (which we have in excess but to sell and not give to a regime with an 'entitlement' complex) and not the "full cream" version fitted to our Typhoons.
However, to present the decision as part of Ukrainian defence was disingenuous because Storm Shadow is purely an attack weapon and is air launched. Ukraine has no aircraft adaptable for their use and they are big old weapons from 2000, no ships for rail use and no submarines for launching the French package variant (which largely failed anyway). Brimstone would have been a credible defensive weapon but the few Brimstone 1s sent to Kiev in November 2022 were not used within parameters and were wasted.
By sending Storm Shadow air to surface 'fire and forget' attack weapons with a little more range than HIMARS and 270 rockets the British government is in danger of sending the wrong message to Russia which it will use as an example of escalation while at the same time handing Kiev some hectoring power for the acquisition of western aircraft. If flown by NATO pilots the result would be escalation on a scale we dare not think about.
I am a British tax payer now retired to my mother's country of Ireland. My grandfather served with the HLI in trenches from 1915 to 1919 and my father was in RAF Bomber Command 1940 to 45 then two years developing avionics. Four uncles served at sea and in the FLA. The family had a few losses.
Britain needs a Defence Minister of higher political skill than Wallace with his/her eye on less at the disposal of the USA as the Big Boss of NATO and as an innovative military power in production and with the world having different currents from earlier this century Britain needs to be flexible and nimble. We have shown often how well we work with European manufacturers time and again and will shortly be working with Japan and India. We also have more international experience in action than any other country and contacts/diplomacy are powerful "weapons". The USA starts conflicts, drags in NATO as junior partners then disappears back over the ocean. We must not support any proxy but find anew the spirit of the British people of 1939.
That said, Wallace is a man who listens and when he does not understand technicalities he asks. He does not pretend and would be ideal as acquisition minister with an extended brief of protecting our homeland -- home area because we generate so much energy offshore with partners, are the hub of communications assets between continents, not a member of a bloc and we are leaders in base load energy guarantees [ref SMRs] thus defence and least reliance on others for staples and energy go hand in hand.
PM Sunak is not as security conscious yet as he will become and the right people are present.