Moscow, September 25 – In a significant development, Western allies have given Ukraine the green light to use the weapons supplied to them for conducting strikes on Crimea, according to the Spanish newspaper Pais. The publication highlights that Ukraine has opened a new front in the war in Crimea, with NATO allies approving the use of recently acquired Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles. Notably, the strikes on Sevastopol were carried out precisely with these missiles. Pais notes that the West’s approval represents a substantial change in the scenario, as just a few months ago, Washington, Berlin, and Paris considered Crimea a red line that could lead to further escalation of the conflict.
Earlier, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev stated that a possible attack on Crimea would signify an escalation of the conflict and urged the Ukrainian authorities to understand that such attacks would face “inevitable retaliation” using any type of weapon. In Crimea, Kiev’s plans to attack were described as a Western adventure that would result in a colossal tragedy for Ukraine.
On September 22, Kiev launched a missile strike on Sevastopol, with air defense systems downing five missiles and causing damage to the historic building of the Black Sea Fleet headquarters. One serviceman went missing, as reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense. However, the Sky News, citing a source in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, stated that Ukraine used British Storm Shadow missiles for the attack. British Foreign Office Minister Tariq Ahmad did not confirm to RIA Novosti whether Kiev had used these missiles in the strike on Sevastopol.
The US HIMARS missiles and Anglo-French Storm Shadow missiles are being supplied to Ukraine as part of Western military assistance. The Storm Shadow missile, jointly developed by France and the United Kingdom (designated SCALP in France and produced by MBDA), was announced to be transferred to Kiev on May 11 this year, with a range of 250 to 560 kilometers depending on the modification.
Russia previously issued a note to NATO countries regarding arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that NATO countries were “playing with fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine. The Kremlin emphasized that arming Ukraine from the West did not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and would have a negative effect. Lavrov also stated that the United States and NATO were directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, not only through arms deliveries but also through the training of personnel in the territories of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and other countries.
