(Bloomberg) -- The UK government recently supplied Ukraine with dozens more Storm Shadow cruise missiles, according to people familiar with the matter, a first under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has pledged continued support for the country’s war against Russia.
The deliveries, which were not publicly announced, took place several weeks ago and were ordered after Kyiv ran low on the long-range missiles, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing security issues.
They were sent before the recent decision by the US and the UK to allow Ukraine to fire long-range missiles at targets inside Russia. The people declined to say exactly when they arrived or give a precise number, citing the need for operational security.
“We do not comment on operational detail, to do so would only benefit” Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Ministry of Defense said in a response to questions, adding the UK’s support for Ukraine is “ironclad.”
Ukrainian forces fired the British Storm Shadow missiles at targets inside Russia for the first time last week, a day after launching US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, a military facility in the western Bryansk region.
The decisions by London and Washington to allow the strikes, which Kyiv had long requested, came in response to the Kremlin deploying North Korean troops to fight against Ukraine, according to officials from both governments.
Yet the move has also been seen as a way for outgoing President Joe Biden and allies to strengthen Ukraine’s hand in any negotiations with Moscow, which are are possible next year as President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the war quickly.
Starmer said at the Group of 20 summit in Brazil on Nov. 20 that his government was “doubling down” on its support for Ukraine, but declined to give specifics.
Storm Shadows are precision-guided, air-launched missiles with a range of more than 250 kilometers (155 miles). They fly close to the terrain at high speeds, using a combination of so-called inertial navigation with Global Positioning System and terrain-reference navigation, according to a fact sheet on the website of their manufacturer MBDA.
The UK government hasn’t said how many Storm Shadow missiles it has given Ukraine during the war, and doesn’t regularly announce transfers. Ukraine had previously used them against Russian forces in the Black Sea.
The last time the Ministry of Defence confirmed a consignment of the missiles to Ukraine was in April, under the administration led by Rishi Sunak.
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