According to a recent report from the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces, Ukrainian forces have successfully hit three Russian command posts using Western-supplied Storm Shadow missiles and GMLRS rockets. The strikes targeted the command posts of the 35th and 27th separate motor rifle brigades, as well as that of the 2nd Combined Arms Army of the Russian Armed Forces. The specific locations and dates of the attacks were not disclosed, but the General Staff stated that they occurred “the other day.” The results of the strikes are currently being assessed, and it was confirmed that the weapons used were Storm Shadow missiles and GMLRS rockets.
These U.S.-supplied GMLRS rockets have a range of approximately 70 kilometers and are launched from HIMARS launchers. They have proven to be a significant asset for Ukraine, allowing them to accurately target Russian forces in occupied territories. In the summer of 2022, when the rockets first arrived, they were a game-changer for Ukraine’s war effort.
It is worth noting that Ukraine has previously used British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of up to 250 kilometers, to strike Russian military targets in Crimea. Crimea is a sovereign Ukrainian territory that was illegally annexed by Russia. In August, The Telegraph reported, citing unnamed sources, that the U.K. was privately in favor of allowing Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles in strikes on Russia itself. However, they were hesitant to publicly push for this change in policy due to potential backlash from the U.S.
Kyiv has long argued that restrictions on the use of Western-supplied long-range weapons are hindering their war effort, while Washington has expressed concerns that allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russian territory could escalate the situation. Last month, there were hopes that Ukraine would finally be granted permission to use these weapons, but the issue was once again put on hold.
In the meantime, Ukraine has been using its own domestically-produced weapons to strike targets deep inside Russia. In September, they successfully targeted ammunition storage sites in the Russian towns of Tikhoretsk and Toropets using drones, resulting in the destruction of over 30,000 tons of ammunition, including ballistic missiles.
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