The Ukraine Ministry of Defense says that the ultra-long-range Storm Shadow missiles recently provided by Britain have already been wreaking havoc on Russian targets with stunning accuracy. Designed to strike at long-range, fixed-location targets, Storm Shadow has reportedly hit 100% of its targets since Ukrainian forces started using the cutting-edge, guided missile earlier this month.
Reported Success of Storm Shadow Denied by Russia
In a Tweet sent by the Defense of Ukraine account and attributed to Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov, the country defending itself against a Russian invasion for over a year, says, “Storm Shadow long-range missiles have hit 100% of the targets identified by the General Staff.”
.@oleksiireznikov
🚀 Storm Shadow long-range missiles have hit 100% of the targets identified by the General Staff.— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 28, 2023
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Russia says that the 100% statistic is inaccurate and that their forces have already successfully downed two of the Storm Shadow missiles. That report is unsubstantiated.
If the Ukranian report is accurate, this is quite a success rate, especially since Storm Shadow is designed to hit targets as far as 150+ miles away. For comparison, the satellite-guided HIMARS missile built by the U.S. is rated at a solid 50 miles.
According to MBDA Missile Systems, which manufactures Storm Shadow, the missile “is operated from Tornado, Rafale, Mirage 2000 and in the future from Eurofighter Typhoon (aircraft).” The company also says the missile is 5’ 10” long and weighs 1,300 kilograms, giving it a seriously potent payload designed to wreak havoc on its targets.
“Storm Shadow / SCALP is the air-launched long-range, conventionally armed, deep strike weapon, designed to meet the demanding requirements of pre-planned attacks against high value fixed or stationary targets,” the company’s site explains. “Able to be operated in extreme conditions, the weapon offers operators a highly flexible, deep-strike capability based around a sophisticated mission planning system.”
Missile Proving More Capable Than Supposedly “Unstoppable” Russian Kinzhal Missile
The success of Storm Shadow comes on the heels of boasts by Russian forces that their own Kinzhal Missile, whose range and impact power are unclear, was essentially “unstoppable” and would dramatically swing the tide of the conflict. In reality, Ukrainian forces say that they have already shot down six of the supposedly unstoppable missiles.
As the conflict continues with no definable end in sight, Ukraine has increasingly seen support increase from its allies, including billions in aid and weapons from the U.S., Britain, and Canada. At the recent G7 summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hinted that Canada may be upping their support even further.
“I would like you to understand that we have powerful relations with Canada,” said Zelenskyy. “We are working on something … which maybe, publicly cannot be commented (on).”
Ultimately, support for Ukraine from nations around the world seems to be increasing, including a recent agreement by the United States to provide an additional $375 million in weapons and munitions. And given the reported success rate of weapons like the Storm Shadow missile, such international support may end up making all the difference.
“We’re certainly not opposed to (offering) help in all sorts of different ways,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Christopher Plain is a Science Fiction and Fantasy novelist and Head Science Writer at The Debrief. Follow and connect with him on Twitter, learn about his books at plainfiction.com, or email him directly at christopher@thedebrief.org.