Ukraine's effective use of British missiles hinged on US data, reports the Times
The Times has reported that London’s unilateral decision to permit Kiev to strike deep into Russia could result in Storm Shadow missiles missing their intended targets. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Storm Shadow missiles will be ineffective against their targets if London permits Kiev to strike deep within Russia on its own, sources have indicated.
As reported by The Times, Ukraine may struggle to utilize British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for long-range attacks on Russia without the targeting data sourced from the US. The article, published on Saturday, quoted five former UK defense secretaries and ex-prime minister Boris Johnson, who argued that London should permit Kiev to utilize its munitions for strikes on internationally recognized Russian territory without awaiting approval from Washington. Johnson asserted, “There is no conceivable case for delay.”
Ukraine has been advocating for this permission for several months, while Russia has cautioned that such a move would signify direct Western involvement in the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
The Times highlighted that while “Britain could fire Storm Shadows without US approval or assistance, they might be intercepted by Russian air defenses or be diverted off-course.”
According to a UK defense source, Storm Shadows—developed in collaboration with France—"probably would not survive in the contested, electronically jammed environment that the Russians have.”
The source elaborated, “Russian electronic warfare has rendered GPS useless. They jam it. So it has to use another type of data set instead, which is American-owned.” The Times noted that this data is classified but is likely connected to American ground-mapping capabilities.
In a meeting between US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington on Friday, the White House indicated that it would maintain a “holding pattern” on the possibility of strikes deep inside Russia until Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky visits New York later this month to present his “victory plan.” This development reportedly “surprised” UK officials, who believed that the Biden administration was leaning toward authorizing the attacks based on “hints” from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to insiders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated on Thursday that Ukraine is incapable of independently using Western long-range systems, as effective targeting necessitates intelligence from NATO satellites and firing solutions that can “only be entered by NATO military personnel.”
Putin warned that permitting such attacks “will mean that NATO countries – the US and European countries – are fighting against Russia,” adding that Russia would “make the appropriate decisions based on the threats facing us.”
In May, after London first suggested allowing Ukrainian strikes with Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia, Moscow warned it could target “any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and beyond” in retaliation.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
As reported by The Times, Ukraine may struggle to utilize British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles for long-range attacks on Russia without the targeting data sourced from the US. The article, published on Saturday, quoted five former UK defense secretaries and ex-prime minister Boris Johnson, who argued that London should permit Kiev to utilize its munitions for strikes on internationally recognized Russian territory without awaiting approval from Washington. Johnson asserted, “There is no conceivable case for delay.”
Ukraine has been advocating for this permission for several months, while Russia has cautioned that such a move would signify direct Western involvement in the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kiev.
The Times highlighted that while “Britain could fire Storm Shadows without US approval or assistance, they might be intercepted by Russian air defenses or be diverted off-course.”
According to a UK defense source, Storm Shadows—developed in collaboration with France—"probably would not survive in the contested, electronically jammed environment that the Russians have.”
The source elaborated, “Russian electronic warfare has rendered GPS useless. They jam it. So it has to use another type of data set instead, which is American-owned.” The Times noted that this data is classified but is likely connected to American ground-mapping capabilities.
In a meeting between US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Washington on Friday, the White House indicated that it would maintain a “holding pattern” on the possibility of strikes deep inside Russia until Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky visits New York later this month to present his “victory plan.” This development reportedly “surprised” UK officials, who believed that the Biden administration was leaning toward authorizing the attacks based on “hints” from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to insiders.
Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated on Thursday that Ukraine is incapable of independently using Western long-range systems, as effective targeting necessitates intelligence from NATO satellites and firing solutions that can “only be entered by NATO military personnel.”
Putin warned that permitting such attacks “will mean that NATO countries – the US and European countries – are fighting against Russia,” adding that Russia would “make the appropriate decisions based on the threats facing us.”
In May, after London first suggested allowing Ukrainian strikes with Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia, Moscow warned it could target “any British military facilities and equipment on the territory of Ukraine and beyond” in retaliation.
Camille Lefevre contributed to this report for TROIB News
