Why Storm Shadow missiles crucial for Ukraine? What can they change?

Ukraine already possesses Storm Shadow missiles but is currently limited to using them only within its own territory.

How could these missiles impact the course of the war? For weeks, Kyiv has been urging the lifting of these restrictions to allow strikes on targets within Russia. The Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French cruise missile with a range of approximately 250km (155 miles), known in France as the Scalp, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Both Britain and France have supplied these missiles to Ukraine, but with the condition that Kyiv can only use them against targets within its own territory. Launched from aircraft, the missile flies close to the speed of sound, staying low to the ground before descending to detonate its high-explosive warhead. 

It is especially effective for striking hardened bunkers and ammunition depots, like those used by Russia in its war against Ukraine. Costing nearly $1 million (£767,000) per missile, Storm Shadows are typically used in well-coordinated attacks involving cheaper drones sent ahead to overwhelm enemy air defenses, a tactic similar to Russia’s against Ukraine. 

They have been highly effective, notably in strikes on Russia’s Black Sea naval headquarters in Sevastopol, making Crimea a dangerous zone for the Russian navy.

Although Kyiv has long sought permission to use these long-range Western missiles inside Russia, Moscow has already prepared for the possibility by relocating bombers, missiles, and supporting infrastructure further from the Ukrainian border, outside the missile's range. 

Despite their effectiveness, Storm Shadow alone is unlikely to significantly change the course of the conflict.