Russia has admitted that British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles are a major problem for Vladimir Putin’s forces.
Yevgeny Balitsky, Moscow-appointed head of Ukraine’s occupied Zaporizhzhia region, said the weapons are causing “unrest” and are even more problematic for Kremlin armies than the US-supplied HIMARS systems.
His words confirm the impression that the long-range Storm Shadow has been a game changer for the Ukrainians as Kiev launches its counter-offensive.
“They’re definitely giving us trouble with their missiles, I must say, especially Storm Shadow,” Balitsky said.
“We somehow learned how to shoot [US-supplied] HIMARS.
Russia has admitted that British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles are a major problem for Vladimir Putin’s forces. Pictured: Earlier this month, an explosion can be seen in the occupied port of Berdiansk caused by a Ukrainian attack with a Storm Shadow missile
Yevgeny Balitsky, Moscow-appointed head of Ukraine’s occupied Zaporizhzhia region (seen with Putin in September), said the weapons are causing “problems” and are even more problematic for Kremlin armies than the US-supplied HIMARS systems
‘But the [British-supplied] Shadows are even harder. They arrive and have a larger radius. So for us it’s a problem.
In fact, our air defense is struggling [Storm Shadow].
“It shoots them down, but there’s only a 50 percent chance the missiles get shot down.”
He added: “Out of four, three have reached us recently.
“Sometimes two make it. The rocket is modern, although it is not the newest, but it is fast enough, it flies well. I mean, at different speeds, at different heights, changing modes, so it’s not easy to shoot down.”
Britain announced the delivery of Anglo-French designed Storm Shadows to Ukraine on May 11, in response to a long-standing demand from Kiev for long-range missiles to help defend their territory against Putin’s invading armies.
There were reports this week that a Storm Shadow missile killed 52-year-old Major General Sergey Goryachev in an attack in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Other senior Russian officers were also reported to have been killed.
He was chief of staff of Russia’s 35th Combined Arms Army and is one of 11 generals reportedly killed in the war – and the first this year.
Six days ago, a storm shadow hit a Russian military headquarters near Henichesk on the Arabat Spit, near annexed Crimea.
His words confirm the impression that the long-range Storm Shadow (pictured in the RAF museum) has been a game changer for the Ukrainians as Kiev launches its counter-offensive. The Storm Shadow missiles, accurate to more than 150 miles, enable Ukrainian troops to get deeper into Russian-held territory than before
According to multiple reports, Major General Sergey Goryachev (pictured), 52, died during a strike in the Zaporizhzhia region. It is claimed that the attack was by a Storm Shadow
A senior Kremlin friend of Putin – deputy prime minister Denis Manturov, 54, had left minutes before the strike.
“A few minutes after his departure, a Storm Shadow missile hit,” said one report.
Storm Shadows also hit the occupied port cities of Berdiansk and Mariupol on the Sea of Azov, reports say. And the £2.2 million per unit missiles were used to attack Luhansk in occupied Donbas.
The GPS-guided ground hugging missiles with a 450 kg warhead have a range of about 250 kilometers. The missiles enable Ukrainian troops to get deeper into Russian-held territory than previously possible.
Storm Shadow was developed by Matra and British Aerospace from 1994, developed by Matra and British Aerospace from 1994 and now produced by MBDA.
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace previously confirmed that the missiles had been used by Ukraine on May 18, but declined to provide further details.
He said the missiles gave the Ukrainians the ability to attack Russian command and control centers located further behind the front line to keep them out of range of the rocket artillery systems the West had supplied to Kiev.
Ukraine is the only country publicly supplied with these missiles by the UK.
An image showing how the Storm Shadow Missiles work on the battlefield
Britain also became the first country to deliver long-range precision missiles to Ukraine on delivery.
They were also reportedly used this month when Russian MP Viktor Vodolatsky was injured in an attack on May 15.
The missiles first saw operational use by British forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where they were tested by the Royal Air Force’s 617 Squadron.
The RAF and the French Air Force have used them against Isis. Britain also used them against Syrian forces in 2018.