France and the United Kingdom have authorized Ukraine to launch deep strikes into Russian territory using SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles, Le Figaro reported, without providing further details.
Previously, President Joe Biden also granted Ukraine permission to strike Russia with U.S. weapons. This decision was made two months before the transition of power to President-elect Donald Trump, who has expressed intentions to reduce support for Ukraine.
This marks a significant shift in the conduct of Ukraine’s military operations. ATACMS strikes could potentially be used to counter an anticipated offensive by at least 50,000 troops, including North Korean forces, in Russia’s Kursk region. Part of Kursk Oblast is currently under the control of the Ukrainian army.
The range of SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles exceeds that of U.S. ATACMS missiles—the export version can reach up to 290 kilometers, while the conventional version has a range of 560 kilometers. Although it was previously reported that the UK and France had supplied SCALP/Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, it was not specified whether these were the export or conventional versions.