British officials tell Telegraph: Permission to attack Russia with British missiles not yet a done deal

Ukraine has not received permission to use Storm Shadow missiles supplied by Britain to attack Russian territory, anonymous sources in the British Ministry of Defense told the Telegraph in a commentary published on July 11. The situation is “more nuanced.”

New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer apparently suggested on July 10 that Ukraine could use Storm Shadow to attack military targets in Russia.

The missiles must, of course, be used “in accordance with international humanitarian law” and “for defensive purposes,” but “the decision how they are used for these defensive purposes rests with Ukraine,” the prime minister said during the NATO summit in Washington.

Starmer’s comments were similar to those of former British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who said in early May that Kyiv had the right to use weapons supplied by London to attack targets on Russian soil. A Kyiv Independent source in the president’s office denied that statement at the time, saying there was no green light from Britain.

After his meeting with Starmer, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the two had discussed “the practical implementation” of the British permission to use Storm Shadow against targets in Russia.

Defense Minister Rustem Umerov also mentioned “Britain’s permission to use Storm Shadow missiles against military facilities in Russia” in a social media post.

The Telegraph reported shortly afterwards that despite Starmer’s comments, the country had not relaxed its policy on the use of long-range missiles because officials fear such a move could lead to “escalation”.

The newspaper’s senior defense source claimed the situation was “more nuanced” than Zelensky had suggested, adding that permission for long-range missile strikes on targets in Russia would require the consent of three countries.

Although sources did not specify the other two countries, France produces its own variants of Storm Shadow called SCALP/T, which have also been delivered to Ukraine.

When asked whether Ukraine would fire Storm Shadow at Russia, the newspaper’s source replied that “that will not happen.”

The sources also said the missile had not been deployed this year, adding that Zelensky would need to “seek assurances elsewhere” before Ukraine could launch Storm Shadow on Russian soil. The assurances were “not a done deal,” they said.

The Kyiv Independent has asked the Ukrainian and British defence ministries and Zelensky’s office for comment, but received no response at the time of publication.

Ukraine has reportedly used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles with a range of up to 250 kilometers to attack Russian military targets in Crimea, a sovereign Ukrainian territory illegally annexed by Russia.

When Russia launched its intensified offensive against Kharkiv Oblast in May, several countries announced that they had lifted restrictions on the use of Western-supplied weapons against military targets in Russia.

The United States granted Kyiv limited permission to use certain American weapons to attack Russian targets near the region’s border.

President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to pressure Washington to allow Ukraine to strike targets deep inside Russia, including military aircraft stationed at military bases.

The counter-offensive: Crossing the “grey zone” from Russia to Ukraine

Editor’s note: This article was published in the twice-weekly newsletter The Counteroffensive with Tim Mak on June 23, 2024, and is republished with permission from the Kyiv Independent. To subscribe to The Counteroffensive, click here. *Sofia’s name has been changed for security reasons…