re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict

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Ukraine is prepared to use British long-range missiles to hit Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014, in a potential major escalation of western involvement in the war.

Rishi Sunak promised to send Ukraine more military aid following a visit by President Zelensky to Britain this week. Discussions are now taking place over whether this should include Harpoon anti-ship missiles or air-to-surface Storm Shadows.

Ukrainian defence sources confirmed to The Times that Kyiv would be prepared to use the missiles to strike Crimea following a warning from Zelensky that longer-range weapons from western allies would strike “deep in the occupied territories”.

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Talks are now taking place to decide exactly how many British long-range missiles could be sent, despite previous concerns that enabling Ukraine to launch cross-border strikes on Russia could escalate the conflict.

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Sidharth Kaushal of the Royal United Services Institute, a defence think tank ... added that Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which have already been given to Ukraine by Denmark, could be adapted to be fired from trucks, although they would be less accurate when attacking ground targets. He said it would also be possible to fire Storm Shadow missiles from the ground, but it was more likely that these would be fitted to Ukrainian aircraft.

Kaushal cautioned, however, that sending Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine would mean Britain going further than the US. Biden has repeatedly refused to provide Army Tactical Missile System projectiles, which have a shorter range.

“Diplomatically, that would put the Biden administration in a very difficult position,” he said. “I imagine that is something policymakers in Whitehall are not necessarily keen to do. It would also enable proper, cross-border strikes against Russia.”

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