Washington Post: UK prepares to give Ukraine long-range missiles

The United Kingdom may be ready to send Kyiv long-range missiles. 

The Washington Post cited a procurement notice posted by the International Fund for Ukraine on May 2.

In this document, the UK Ministry of Defense reportedly asked for "expressions of interest" in providing strike weapons with a range of up to 300 kilometers. The message asked for a response within 3 days.

The newspaper quoted a British official as saying that no final decision had been made. However, the notification is a significant step towards the UK supplying such munitions itself. It is also reported that the requested characteristics correspond to the Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, left, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

The Washington Post reminds that Ukraine has long been asking Western countries to provide it with longer-range missiles, arguing that such weapons could change the course of the war by enabling Ukrainian troops to hit Russian command centers, supply lines, ammunition, and fuel depots deep in Crimea and the temporarily occupied territory in eastern Ukraine.

The newspaper notes that as Kyiv prepares to launch a major counteroffensive in the next few weeks, the ability to strike far behind the front lines will help clear the way for a ground offensive by tanks and infantry.

Storm Shadows can reportedly be mounted on Ukrainian Soviet-made jet aircraft. Such missiles can reach Russian territory. At the same time, Kyiv promises the West not to use donor weapons to strike Russia.

Fears that Ukraine will fire missiles at targets in Russia are a key reason why the United States has repeatedly rejected Kyiv's requests for long-range U.S. munitions.

The project «Ukraine: realities» is implemented by the News agency «Konkurent» together with the Civic Movement «SVIDOMI» and the charity organization Global Empowerment Mission in English for readers from other countries to tell the stories of people who survived the horrors of the Russian occupation.

Проєкт «Ukraine: realities» реалізовується Інформаційним агентством «Конкурент» спільно з Громадянським Рухом «СВІДОМІ» та благодійною організацією Global Empowerment Mission на англійській мові для читачів з інших країн аби розповісти історії людей, які пережили жахи російської окупації.