UK's Prime Minister calls Russia's bluff. War?

UK's Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has called Russia's bluff in allowing Ukraine to decide how they want to use the Storm Shadow missiles including firing them into Russia if needed to defend themselves. Zelensky has consistently said that they need to fire the missiles into Russia to destroy military installations in Russia. See update at base.

Image: MikeB

Putin has also consistently said that if this happens they will retaliate. Putin has issued many threats including the use of nuclear bombs to try and subdue the West into become submissive and to keep out of his invasion of Ukraine.

Here and now we have a real test for both Starmer and Putin. What will Putin do if anything? Was he bluffing and using empty threats or was he being truthful? Will he attack the UK? That is what he must have meant.

But how will he attack the UK? Will he destroy undersea cables that serve the nation? There are many and they are not well protected.

It is impossible to envisage Russia bombing Britain! That would be WW3. He can't do it because all NATO nations are obligated to defend each other when under attack.

So what will Putin do? The world's greatest terrorist in living memory.

Zelensky said: 

“This morning, I learned about the permission to use Storm Shadow missiles against military targets in Russian territory. Today, we had the opportunity to discuss the practical implementation of this decision.”

Zelensky has always urged his Western allies to put an end to “all limitations” placed on donated weapon systems in a speech on the fringes of the NATO summit in Washington.

Update 2 days later! From RBC Ukraine -- The Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom clarified that it did not permit Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike Russian territory, citing The Telegraph. Downing Street said that the government's policy has not changed regarding the deployment of long-range missiles, despite comments from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer suggesting that he was easing restrictions on missile use.

Storm Shadow

The Storm Shadow (also known as SCALP) is a long-range, air-launched, stand-off attack missile developed by France-based MBDA Systems. Here are its key features:

1. Deployment:

   • The missile can be integrated into various aircraft, including the Tornado GR4, Tornado IDS, Saab Gripen, Mirage 2000, Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
   • It’s designed for precision strikes against high-value stationary assets such as airbases, radar installations, communications hubs, and port facilities.

2. Capabilities:

   • Range: Over 250 km (nearly 200 miles).
   • Stealth: Its low altitude and subsonic speed make it difficult to detect.
   • Guidance: Equipped with advanced navigation (INS, GPS, and terrain referencing) for exceptional accuracy.
   • Autonomy: Fully autonomous guidance system.
   • Weather: Operates day and night in all conditions.
   • Terrain Hugging: Descends to fly at low altitude to avoid detection.

The Storm Shadow missile is a formidable weapon for deep strike missions, offering precision and versatility. 🚀💥

--------

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.