Britain says it is transferring long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.

Britain is handing Ukraine long-range Storm Shadow missiles to help it regain territory lost to Russia since its invasion, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told parliament on Thursday.

The air-launched missiles are the latest in a pipeline of military aid to the country from Britain, the US and other NATO allies and come after Ukraine requested weapons capable of striking Russian military infrastructure and troop concentrations far behind. front line in the war. As the country prepares for a counteroffensive, these demands become increasingly urgent.

The storming of Ukraine may take place in the south and east of the country, where Russia holds territory. In recent weeks, Kyiv has increasingly struck military targets in occupied southern cities such as Melitopol and Berdyansk, possibly in preparation for a counteroffensive.

The new missiles can reach those cities, and they could also allow Ukraine to strike military targets in Crimea, a region even further behind Russian lines that was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

“Ukraine has the right to defend itself,” Mr. Wallace said. “Using Storm Shadow will allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based on Ukraine’s sovereign territory.” Mr Wallace said he would not describe the weapons’ capabilities in detail, but he said they were “not even in the same league” as some Russian weapons. The Russian Kalibr cruise missile, he said, had a “range of more than 2,000 km, which is about seven times the range of the Storm Shadow missile.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Russia has a “negative” view on the supply of new weapons. He said that this “will require an adequate response from our military”, but did not give details.

Britain has been at the forefront of donating military aid to Ukraine, along with Poland and the Baltic states crowded out by other European countries provide more aid to the country. Anti-tank missiles supplied by Britain helped Ukraine repel Russia’s attempt to seize the capital Kyiv last spring, and in January Britain promised to send Challenger tanks to Ukraine.

In the past, announcements of UK arms deliveries have been followed by decisions by the US and other countries to provide similar classes of military aid, but it was unclear whether this pattern would continue for longer-range missiles.

Nor was it immediately clear that the United States supported Britain’s move. The Biden administration has restrained supplies of long-range weapons to Ukraine out of concern that Ukraine might use them to strike targets deep inside Russia, and that President Vladimir Putin might respond by escalating the war.

Britain “has received assurances from Ukraine that these missiles, like all other military support we have provided, will only be used to defend their sovereign territory in accordance with international law,” a spokesman for the British prime minister said. Rishi Sunak. It is not yet clear whether the missiles are in Ukraine, but the spokesman said they were “transferred”.

This is what Ukrainian officials say exerting pressure on Russian bases in Crimea is a significant part of their strategy, given the region’s role in supporting hostilities elsewhere in Ukraine. This was announced by US representatives Ukraine already has the necessary firepower strike in Crimea. Military analysts say the range of Storm Shadow missiles would at least force Russia to monitor areas previously considered beyond the range of Ukrainian missiles.

It remains unclear whether the Storm Shadow missile will allow Ukraine to strike targets in southern Crimea, including the port city of Sevastopol, where Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is based. Southern Crimea is about 150 miles south of the front line in the conflict.

Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, the former commander of the U.S. military in Europe and a proponent of providing long-range weapons to Ukraine, said on Twitter that the Black Sea Fleet will now under threat. “This will give Ukraine the opportunity to make Crimea unsuitable for Russian forces,” he said.

Mark Santoroand Anatoly Kurmanaev filed a report.