What are Storm Shadow missiles and why are they crucial for Ukraine?
For weeks now Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading with the US and UK to allow Ukraine to use long-range missiles against targets inside Russia.
Ukraine already has supplies of these missiles, but is restricted to firing them at targets inside its own borders.
So far, Joe Biden and Sir Keir Starmer have stopped short of explicitly giving Kyiv permission to fire them inside Vladimir Putin’s country over concerns about further escalating the conflict.
So why the reluctance by the West and what difference could these missiles make to the war?
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What is Storm Shadow?
Storm Shadow is an Anglo-French cruise missile with a maximum range of around 150 miles.
It is launched from aircraft then flies at close to the speed of sound, hugging the terrain, before dropping down and detonating its high explosive warhead.
Storm Shadow is considered an ideal weapon for penetrating hardened bunkers and ammunition stores, such as those used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Each missile costs nearly US$1 million (£767,000).
They have been used with great success in the conflict, striking Russia’s Black Sea naval headquarters at Sevastopol and making the whole of Crimea unsafe for the Russian navy.
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Why does Ukraine want it now?
Since Ukraine’s surprise summer offensive into Russian territory its cities and front lines have been pummelled under daily bombardment from Putin’s military.
Many of the missiles and glide bombs that devastate military positions, blocks of flats and hospitals are launched by Russian aircraft deep within Russia itself.
President Zelensky has said that not being allowed to hit the bases these attacks are launched from is like Ukraine fighting with one arm tied behind its back.
Kyiv argues that in order to push back the Russian air strikes, it needs long-range missiles, including American ATACMs, which have an even greater range of 300km.
What difference could Storm Shadow make?
Moscow has already taken precautions for the eventuality of the restrictions being lifted.
It has moved bombers, missiles and some of the infrastructure that maintains them further back, away from the border with Ukraine and beyond the range of Storm Shadow.
The Institute for the Study of War think tank (ISW) has identified around 200 Russian bases that would be in range of Storm Shadows fired from Ukraine.
Some further additional bases would come into range if the US approves the use of ATACMS missiles in Russia.
But experts say Storm Shadow is unlikely to turn the tide of the war. Ukraine doesn't have many missiles, and the UK has very few left to give.
Why has the West hesitated?
Both Washington and London don’t want to escalate the war. Allowing Ukraine to hit targets deep inside Russia with Western-supplied missiles could push Putin over the edge into retaliating, such as striking airbases in Poland.
If that were to happen, Nato's Article 5 could be invoked, meaning the alliance would be at war with Russia.
