A photo of a Ukrainian swing-wing Su-24 Fencer jet with two Storm Shadow cruise missiles began circulating on social media on Friday.
The Storm Shadow conventionally armed cruise missiles supplied by the United Kingdom appear to be in use with the Ukrainian Air Force Su-24 aircraft for attacks on Russian positions.
The transfer of long-range ‘Storm Shadow’ cruise missiles to Ukraine was first confirmed back in May as part of a British aid package. UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, calling the donation Ukraine’s “best chance to defend themselves against Russia’s continued brutality,” confirmed the transaction on 11 May.
The Storm Shadow is a long-range cruise missile with stealth capabilities, jointly developed by the UK and France, which is launched from the air platform. With a firing range in excess of 250km, or 155 miles, it is just short of the 185-mile range capability of the US-made surface-to-surface Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, that Ukraine has long asked for.
The deployment of the missiles comes as Ukrainian forces prepare to launch a counteroffensive intended to retake Russian-held territory in the eastern and southern parts of the country.
