Ukraine used Storm Shadow missiles to attack Russia with London’s permission — official
There is no complete unanimity among Kiev's Western allies, which have multiplied arms deliveries to Ukraine since the start of the Russian special military operation, on restrictions on its use
MOSCOW, May 29. /TASS/. The United Kingdom has authorized Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles supplied to it to attack Russian facilities, Kiev has already used such weapons, a Ukrainian official said.
"We already have a precedent. For example, the United Kingdom has previously allowed Ukraine to use the long-range Storm Shadows missiles it provided," Yury Sak, adviser to Ukrainian Strategic Industries minister, told Bloomberg. He added that the Ukrainian armed forces "have already used them."
There is no complete unanimity among Kiev's Western allies, which have multiplied arms deliveries to Ukraine since the start of the Russian special military operation, on restrictions on its use. Washington says it does not "encourage or facilitate" the use of US-provided weapons for strikes on Russian territory. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly said that he rules out supplying Kiev with long-range Taurus cruise missiles because Berlin would not be able to maintain control over targeting without sending German troops to Ukraine, which he said is a line he does not want to cross.
However, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron told Reuters on May 2 that Ukraine had the right to use British weapons against targets in Russia. According to Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, Cameron's words are an open admission that the West is using Ukrainians to fight a war with Russia. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the top UK diplomat’s statements as "a direct escalation."