Britain sends long-range ‘game changer’ Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine – as Putin makes chilling threat

THE UK is sending devastating Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed today.

Mr Wallace said the long-range missiles will allow Ukraine to further push Vladimir Putin's forces back into Russia.

Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles can travel up to 600mph and blast targets up to 350 miles away.

It means the weapons could hit a targets at maximum range in just 35 minutes - travelling near half the length of the UK.

"The donation of these weapons systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russia's continued brutality," said Mr Wallace.

"Ukraine has a right to be able to defend itself."

US military officials described the missile as a "a real game-changer from a range perspective".

Russia has been left fuming by the deployment of the missiles, with Putin's spokesman vowing an "adequate response".

The devastating missile costs £790,000 and has onboard guidance systems to help seek out enemies.

They are designed to hit well-defended static targets like facilities, bunkers and bridges.

The weapon works like a dive-bomber.

It cruises low over the land before shooting high into the sky and then coming down on its target from a near vertical angle.

Mr Wallace said it is only the actions of Russia that have led to the deployment of the Storm Shadows.

And he pointed out the missiles could not compare to the devastating weapons being used by Putin.

"These systems are not even in the same league as the Russian AS-24 killjoy hypersonic missile" or "even the Kalibr cruise missile with a range of over 2,000 kilometres", said Mr Wallace.

The Defence Sec went on: "Russia must recognise that their actions alone have led to such systems being provided to Ukraine.

"It is my judgment as Defence Secretary that this is a calibrated and proportionate response to Russia's escalations."

Britain is understood to have received assurances from the Kyiv that these missiles would be used only within Ukraine.

They will not be used to hit targets inside Russia - something it is feared could further stoke tension between Putin and the West.

Ukraine has been asking for months for long-range missiles, but support provided by Britain and other allies such as the United States has previously been limited to shorter range weapons.

The world is awaiting Kyiv's long awaited counter-offensive - with suggestions they could launch a major operation and even push into Crimea.

Brave soldiers have been holding back the much-larger Russian army as the war devolved over the winter into a bloody stalemate.

Ukraine's hero president Volodymyr Zelensky however said they need more time to prepare before they strike back.

Kyiv has been training a new contingent of forces and stockpiling Western-supplied munitions and hardware that analysts say will be key to reclaiming territory captured by Russia.

"With (what we have) we can go forward and be successful. But we'd lose a lot of people. I think that's unacceptable," said Zelensky.

"So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time.";

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said late last month that Kyiv's preparations were "coming to an end" and his forces were ready "in a global sense".

But he also said that Abrams tanks promised by the US would not be able to take part in the offensive because they would not arrive in Ukraine until the end of this year.

The head of Russia's Wagner private military company Yevgeny Prigozhin meanwhile accused Zelensky of being "dishonest" in his BBC interview saying that Ukraine's counter-offensive "is in full swing".

A senior Ukrainian military official said earlier this week that Russian forces had dropped back from some areas near Bakhmut after limited counter-attacks by Kyiv's forces around the eastern city.

Prigozhin, whose forces are on the front line of the battle for Bakhmut, admitted that some Ukrainian units were successfully breaking through in some areas.

"The Ukrainian army's plan is in action... all the units which have been trained, which have received weapons, tanks and everything they need are already fully engaged," he said.

Prigozhin is involved in a long-running dispute with Russian military chiefs over ammunition supplies for his fighters and he has threatened to pull them out of the key battlefield of Bakhmut.

Russia invaded Ukraine last February - a conflict which has devolved into a grinding, brutal war.

It is believed nearly 200,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Putin's botched invasion.

And millions of Ukrainian civilians have endured untold misery as the Russians stole their homes and left cities devastated.

Despite the bloodshed, Kyiv is still standing strong against the Russians with backing from the West.

Putin foolishly believed his forces would be welcomed into Ukraine as liberators.

But instead, the initial attack ended in a disaster which saw his forces devastated and thrown back to Russia.

Kyiv continues to call for more Western support to help them defeat Putin.

It's believed Mad Vlad's fate is now tied to his success or failure in the war - and he continues to dangle the threat of nuclear escalation over Ukraine.