The Russian military has started to respond to the United Kingdom’s shipment of Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine. This assessment comes from Lev Korolkov, a veteran of the Foreign Intelligence Service and contributor to Pravda.Ru who specializes in crisis situations. He says the current phase involves large-scale Russian strikes against Ukrainian Armed Forces facilities. Korolkov emphasizes the scale of potential operations, noting that the missiles are capable of hitting targets across the right bank of the Dnieper, including areas within Crimea and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions that Moscow now regards as part of Russia. Yet he also points out that Russia possesses tools to counter these weapons and manage the resulting threats.
Korolkov explains that the air defenses already in place in those regions form a significant obstacle to aggressive strikes. He suggests that this development may negatively color the United Kingdom’s stance and complicate international dynamics. He also mentions the possibility of multi-faceted responses, highlighting the interconnected nature of global security and finance. The usage of a broad network of cables linking to the United States, coupled with the broader influence of the international financial system, could trigger a period of disruption. He adds that actors may not desire such chaos, even if it seems a tempting strategic option to some.
In related commentary, Mikhail Sheremet, a former State Duma deputy for Crimea, contends that if Ukraine uses Storm Shadow missiles, massive operations would need to extend across Ukraine’s western borders to cut off Western weapons supply lines. This perspective underscores the perceived risk of escalation and the potential for broad regional impact should the weapons reach outside their initial targets. The discussion reflects a broader debate about how Western military support interacts with Russia’s evolving defensive and offensive strategies, and how that interplay might shape future actions by all sides involved.