Kyiv wants to launch Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles at Russia’s heartlands as ‘demonstration’ attacks

Ukraine wants permission from the west to use long-range Storm Shadow missiles to destroy targets deep inside Russia, believing this could force Moscow into negotiating an end to the fighting.

Senior figures in Kyiv have suggested that using the Anglo-French weapons in a “demonstration attack” will show the Kremlin that military sites near the capital itself could be vulnerable to direct strikes.

The thinking, according to a senior government official, is that Russia will consider negotiating only if it believes Ukraine had the ability “to threaten Moscow and St Petersburg”. This is a high-risk strategy, however, and does not so far have the support of the US.

Ukraine has been lobbying for months to be allowed to use Storm Shadow against targets inside Russia, but with little success. Nevertheless, as its army struggles on the eastern front, there is a growing belief that its best hope lies in counter-attack.

  • @LwLEnglish
    1•20 days ago

    Thefuck are you on about. I take just as much issue with chinas genocide, I just take less issue with my own (and other) governments’ handling of said genocide. For one Israel is getting active support while china has frosty trade relations, but also the balance of power would allow both the EU and US to pressure Israel into stopping, which they can’t just do with china because china is a global superpower. I still kinda think they should but we all know citizens will cry about any QoL loss they might experience as a result, and that is reasonably something governments have to consider.