Russian MoD Says Seven Ukrainian Storm Shadow Missiles Were Shot Down
Russian air defenses had shot down seven of Ukraine’s new Storm Shadow cruise missiles over the special military operation zone, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on May 16.
Russia’s military “intercepted seven Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles, three HARM anti-radar missiles, and seven HIMARS multiple rocket launchers” in a day, the ministry said in its daily briefing, without providing any further details.
The Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French low-observable, long-range, air-launched cruise missile developed since 1994 by Matra and British Aerospace, and now manufactured by MBDA. It features a GPS-aided inertial navigation system with a terrain profile matching system. For terminal guidance, the missile is equipped with an imaging infrared scene-mapping area correlator system.
The maximum range of the Storm Shadow is 560 kilometers. However, it is thought that Ukraine received the downgraded export version with a range of 250 kilometers. The Ukrainian Air Force has reportedly integrated the 1,300 kg cruise missile on its Soviet-era Su-24 fighter bombers.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced the delivery of Storm Shadow missiles to Kiev forces in the House of Commons on May 11, arguing that the missiles will “allow Ukraine to push back Russian forces based on Ukrainian sovereign territory”.
The donation of Storm Shadow missiles “will demand an appropriate response from our military,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said back then.
Ukraine used Storm Shadow missiles to attack Luhansk city on May 12, 13 and 15, causing material losses and casualties, including children. Russian air defense achieved their first confirmed kill against the cruise missile during the last attack on the city.
According to some unverified reports, Ukraine received 200 Storm Shadow missiles from the United Kingdom and is set to receive 400 more in the near future.
Other reports suggested that Kiev forces will soon receive the French version of the missile, which is known as SCALP EG [Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée – Emploi Général, meaning General Purpose Long Range Cruise Missile].
The recent interceptions of the Storm Shadow indicate that the Russian military has successfully modified its air defense tactics to counter the missile.
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