Storm shadow missile: Russia's unlikely trophy from Ukrainian front
The British newspaper "The Times" drew attention to a disturbing video broadcast by the Russians, in which they boasted about capturing a Storm Shadow cruise missile. We remind you of the capabilities of this weapon, which, as the Ukrainians themselves emphasise, has proven to be one of the most valuable means of inflicting heavy losses on the invaders.
Great Britain supplies the Ukrainian army with Storm Shadow missiles. It is one of only three European countries that (at least officially) support Ukraine with this type of weapon—besides France and, as recently revealed, Italy. The Ukrainians themselves call the Storm Shadow cruise missiles "the weapon of victory."
Storm shadow cruise missiles decimate Russian forces
High ratings for British weaponry are due to several factors. Cruise missiles are long-range weapons, enabling attacks on targets as far as around 480 kilometres. After being launched, cruise missiles reach speeds of up to about 1,110 kilometres per hour. They are also made with stealth technology, making them difficult to detect. Videos show that even the best Russian air defence systems cannot handle this weapon.
The British used BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge) warheads, which weigh about 450 kilograms and can operate in one of three modes - airburst, impact explosion, or delayed detonation. The Storm Shadow cruise missiles are fired from aircraft, and the Ukrainians have adapted their Su-24s for this purpose. Significant losses were inflicted on the Russians, mainly in Crimea.
Storm shadow in Russian hands?
The "The Times" article is based on a video released by the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. It shows an engineer allegedly inspecting the intact warhead of the British missile and describing it on camera. The Russians could have obtained it if they managed to reach a missile that, for some reason, malfunctioned and fell without detonation or was shot down.
As the Russians emphasised, examining the missile by specialists will enable the implementation of countermeasures related to protection against such weapons, including creating shelters with the necessary properties.
Such statements are not surprising and are often repeated by both sides of the ongoing conflict in the event of successfully capturing enemy weapons. The Russians claim significant successes in capturing NATO equipment. So far, they have managed to capture, among other things, an M1A1SA Abrams tank and a German Marder 1 infantry fighting vehicle. The Ukrainians, on the other hand, have captured, among other things, T-90M tanks, which are the latest Russian tanks and have already been thoroughly examined.
