Ukraine urges West: Green light needed for missile strikes on Russia
High-level Ukrainian politicians are urging allies to agree to the use of Western long-range missiles for strikes on targets deep within Russia. Undoubtedly, this pertains to Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG and ATACMS missiles.
Explicit appeals have been made by, among others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. These appeals follow a massive Russian attack on Ukraine on August 26. Over 127 missiles of various types and about 100 Shahed drones were used in the attack.
Long-range missiles in Ukraine
According to the Ukrainians, restrictions on the use of certain types of weapons imposed by the West do not help end the conflict and make Russia feel unpunished. It was clearly emphasized that the issue concerns the United States, the United Kingdom, and France authorities. This, in turn, leaves no doubt that it concerns Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG and ATACMS missiles, as such long-range weapons are being sent to Ukraine.
The Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG missiles can strike targets several hundred kilometres away. These are cruise missiles that, after being launched (from aircraft), reach a speed of about 1,080 km/h. Each of these missiles weighs about 1,310 kilograms, of which 449 kilograms is the BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge) warhead. The latter can operate in several modes and detonate not only on impact but also in the air or with a delay.
Ukraine appeals to allies
ATACMS missiles have been reaching the front from the United States since the end of 2023. Initially, these were only M39 variants, allowing targets up to 160 kilometres away to be hit. Over time, however, the Ukrainians also began to receive long-range variants, with a range of up to 300 kilometres. Additionally, they have satellite navigation, providing greater accuracy.
"There are two specific decisions that our partners can make to help us put an end to Russian terror sooner. First, affirming Ukraine's long-range strikes on all legitimate military targets on Russian territory. Second, agreeing to use partners' air defence capabilities to shoot down missiles and drones close to their airspace," wrote Dmytro Kuleba on his profile on platform X.
Ukrainians have the consent of Western countries to use most of the weapons they receive "at their discretion." Thanks to this, many Western vehicles were used during the offensive in the Kursk region, including multi-purpose HMMWV and Stryker M1132 vehicles, German Marder infantry fighting vehicles, and Polish Oncilla armoured personnel carriers and PT-91 Twardy tanks. So far, however, no green light has been given to use long-range weapons in Russia.
