Media: France, UK approve Ukraine's strikes deep into Russian territory

France and the UK have authorised Ukraine to use Storm Shadow/SCALP long-range missiles to strike Russian territory.

These missiles, a joint development between the UK and France, were supplied to Ukraine to aid in its defence against Russia in the ongoing conflict. The discussion was already heated in government offices regarding the approval of Western missiles for use against Russian territory. French President Emmanuel Macron voiced his support for this during his state visit to Germany in May 2024, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media.

The main focus is on US President Joe Biden's approval for Ukrainian forces to carry out strikes deep within Russian territory using American-made ATACMS missiles. This decision marks a major change in the tactics of Ukrainian forces, who are said to have more American-made missiles than those from France and the UK.  

The Storm Shadow/SCALP is a long-range air-to-ground missile developed collaboratively by the UK and France. It is designed to strike stationary targets, such as heavily fortified sites like bunkers, regardless of weather conditions or time of day. The missile features a 450 kg warhead and can be deployed on Ukrainian Soviet-era fighter jets.  

Earlier, President Biden had, for the first time, authorized Ukrainian forces to use long-range ATACMS missiles to target Russian territory. Sources suggest that these missiles will likely be initially aimed at Russian and North Korean forces in Kursk Oblast. 

While British and French leaders had shown support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's request for long-range strikes on Russian soil, they had been reluctant to approve their use until Biden gave the green light for the deployment of ATACMS.

Ukraine is preparing to launch strikes on Russian territory using American-made long-range missiles in the coming days.

By Naila Huseynova