Crossing the Line: Ukraine's Use of Storm Shadow Missiles and the Escalation of Conflict

The first use of the Anglo-French Storm Shadow cruise missile to strike targets inside Russia has brought the UK into a more direct conflict with Moscow. On Tuesday, November 19, Ukraine quickly fired American-made long-range ATACMS missiles into Russia after President Biden gave his approval. This marked a change in his stance after months of requests from President Zelenskyy. The missiles struck a weapons storage site in the Bryansk region, about 70 miles (113 km) from the border and 235 miles (378 km) southwest of Moscow.

Just a few hours later, a missile provided by Britain was launched at a similar target. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has avoided directly saying whether he allowed Zelensky to use Storm Shadow missiles for attacks inside Russia. However, the recent long-range strikes suggest that the UK government is now following a similar approach to the one recently adopted by the United States. This likely means there has been a shift in policy to support Ukraine with more advanced weaponry for such operations.

ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems) and Storm Shadow (known as Scalp in France) are two of the most powerful and effective weapons provided by the 50-nation coalition, led by the US. This group has been supplying weapons and supporting Ukraine’s government since Russia’s invasion began on February 24, 2022.

It took over 1,000 days for the US and UK to allow Zelensky to use these weapons for attacks inside Russia. The cruise missile, which has a range of 155 miles (about 250 km), has been used by Ukraine in many attacks on Russian targets in Crimea and eastern regions since it was first supplied last year. However, it was only used for shorter-range missions until now.

The Storm Shadow missile is very powerful, carrying a 990-pound (about 450 kg) warhead. It is designed to destroy tough military targets like ammunition depots, airbase storage buildings, radar systems, and naval ports. In Ukraine, the cruise missile has been used on Soviet-made Sukhoi Su-24 planes. Before Ukraine started using it, the missile was supplied to the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) for use on Tornado GR4 and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft.

The missile was first used from a Typhoon jet during operations against Islamic State in Syria in March 2021. However, it was earlier fired from a Tornado GR4 jet back in 2003 during the Iraq war. Storm Shadow is equipped with “fire-and-forget” technology, with autonomous guidance. It was designed to hit targets with enhanced accuracy, with all the details of the target fed into a computer.

Since it is a cruise missile and not a ballistic one, it flies at subsonic speeds (below the speed of sound). It moves close to the ground to avoid detection and only rises at the last moment to hit the target with maximum force, dropping down close to the speed of sound for greater impact. The Storm Shadow missile is important on the battlefield because it is accurate and can hit tough targets. However, it is in high demand among allies, so Ukraine has only received a limited supply. This could make it harder for Ukraine to cause major and lasting damage to key military sites in Russia.

Since the missile is launched from the air, Ukrainian pilots need to use advanced flying skills and tactics to avoid being shot down by Russian air-defense systems. This means they have to carefully plan their movements and stay alert to avoid detection and protect their aircraft.

The US and UK have allowed Ukraine to use these two weapon systems at their full range. This creates a serious challenge for Russian air defense systems. In the past, Russia's main worry inside its own borders was detecting and shooting down Ukraine's long-range drones. While these drones have improved over time, they have have failed to cause any serious damage.

Now, Russia has to deal with two advanced Western weapons that can cross the border and hit targets over a large area. It’s estimated that around 245 military sites could be within the range of ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles. Russia has strong and advanced air-defense systems, but they can’t cover every area. The Storm Shadow missile is considered very effective because it can fly close to the ground, making it harder to detect. However, on July 9 last year, Russian air defenses managed to shoot down a Storm Shadow missile in southern Ukraine.

For the first time, Ukraine has used both ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles to strike targets inside Russia. This sends a clear message to Moscow: Ukraine’s Western allies are committed to supporting Kyiv with the weapons it needs to protect itself, even if that means breaking the previous rule that banned using these weapons on Russian territory. In simple terms, it shows how determined Ukraine's partners are to help the country defend itself, no matter the circumstances.

The Ukrainian government understands that it has about two months to make the most of these long-range weapons. This is because, if Donald Trump takes office in January, there’s uncertainty about whether Ukraine will continue to receive the same level of support.

Russia is well aware of the timeline in Washington and is likely to respond with attacks on Ukraine, aiming to make this winter especially harsh and difficult for the Ukrainian people. Permission from Washington and London to allow attacks deeper into Russia comes as Russian forces are slowly but steadily advancing in eastern Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia has been relentlessly targeting Ukraine's energy facilities, leading to power outages in many cities just as winter begins.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own and do not reflect those of DNA)

(The author of this article is a Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru. He is also Director of ADD Engineering Components, India, Pvt. Ltd, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. You can reach him at: girishlinganna@gmail.com)