Washington authorizes Ukraine to target Russia with long-range missiles
The US has removed restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range Western missiles, allowing strikes on Russian targets with British-made Storm Shadow systems.
The United States has lifted a key restriction that previously limited Ukraine’s ability to use certain Western long-range missiles against targets inside Russian territory, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources within the U.S. administration.
According to the publication, the decision came after authority over such strike permissions was transferred from U. S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO Forces in Europe, General Alexis Grinkevich.
Washington now expects Ukrainian forces to make broader use of British-made Storm Shadow air-launched missiles. However, WSJ sources emphasized that the United States still retains indirect control over their deployment, as these missiles rely on American intelligence data for targeting.
The Storm Shadow is a low-observable cruise missile designed for precision strikes from aircraft. Its range varies from 250 to 560 kilometers, depending on the modification. The weapon was jointly developed by British and French engineers and has been actively used by Ukrainian forces since 2023.