Ukraine is ready to use British long-range missiles to strike targets in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014. This could be a big escalation of Western intervention in the war.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed to send more military aid to Ukraine following President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to London this week.

“Discussions are now underway as to whether these will be Harpoon anti-ship missiles, or Storm Shadows surface-to-air missiles,” writes The Times..

Sources of the publication in the Ukrainian defense departments confirmed that Kyiv is ready to use these missiles to strike Russian targets in Crimea after Zelensky said that long-range Western weapons would be used to shell Russian targets "

During a meeting with MEPs in Brussels, Zelenskiy reiterated his demands for fighter jets ahead of an expected Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine..

“We are defending ourselves against the most anti-European force in the modern world. We, that is, the Ukrainians on the battlefield, are defending ourselves together with you,” the Ukrainian President said..

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The Times writes that Harpoon missiles cost ?1.2m per unit. The maximum range of their flight is 240 km. In turn, Storm Shadow cost twice as much, but can destroy targets at a distance of more than 560 kilometers. Although the export version of these missiles has a shorter range.

There is now ongoing speculation about exactly how many British long-range missiles could be transferred, despite early worries that allowing Ukraine to strike Russia could escalate the conflict..

Recently, Western allies have softened their position on the transfer of offensive weapons and seem to agree with Kyiv's arguments that Crimea is an occupied territory, which means that Russian facilities on its territory can be considered a legitimate target.. U.S. President Joe Biden effectively doubled the long-range capabilities of the Ukrainian army last year by approving a new U.S. aid package that includes GLSDB missiles that can destroy targets up to 150 kilometers away.. Ukraine has promised that it will not use these weapons to strike Russia, but this promise does not apply to Crimea.

Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) expert Siddharth Kaushal explained that the West needs to give Ukraine long-range weapons so that it can continue to destroy Russian ammunition depots. In recent months, Putin's generals have begun moving command centers and weapons depots away from the front lines.. Because the Ukrainian military destroyed them with the help of American rocket launchers.

“We want to give them something that can hit targets over 100 kilometers away, but not long enough to hit Russia,” the expert explained..

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He also added that Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which Ukraine has already received from Denmark, can be adapted for launches from trucks.. Although they will be less accurate in destroying ground targets. Kaushal said that Storm Shadow missiles can also be launched from the ground. But it is more likely that Ukrainian aircraft will be armed with them..

At the same time, the RUSI expert noted that the supply of Storm Shadow to Ukraine would mean that Britain went much further than the United States, which repeatedly refused to transfer ATACMS missiles to Kyiv..

“From a diplomatic point of view, this will put the Biden administration in a very difficult position.. Guess that's not what politicians in Whitehall tend to do. It would also make cross-border strikes against Russia possible,” Kaushal said..