MOSCOW, 6 Aug. The Ukrainian military has upgraded Soviet combat aircraft to use Western-provided weapons, in particular Storm Shadow missiles, said Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, quoted on the website of President Volodymyr Zelensky's office.
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» As the Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant-General Nikolai Oleshchuk, noted, these aircraft were modernized to use weapons provided by partners. In particular, air-to-surface missiles ZUNI, Storm Shadow missiles, AGM HARM anti-radar missiles,» the material says.
According to Zelensky’s office, on Air Force Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleshchuk heard a report on the operation and capabilities of the Patriot and IRIS-T complexes, and also inspected the Su-25 attack aircraft, Su-24M bomber, Su-27 and MiG-29 fighters.
The Storm Shadow missile was developed jointly by France and Great Britain (in France it was named SCALP and is manufactured by MBDA). London announced the transfer of Storm Shadow cruise missiles (range from 250 to 560 kilometers, depending on modification) to Kiev on May 11 this year.
Shortly after that, the Armed Forces of Ukraine began to actively use missiles to strike Russian rear areas and civilian targets.
Moscow last spring sent a note to NATO countries over the supply of military aid to Ukraine. Russia has repeatedly noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Kiev will become a legitimate target for the army.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also said that the United States and the alliance are directly involved in the conflict — not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel for territories of Great Britain, Germany, Italy and other countries.