Ukraine used long-range Storm Shadow missiles to strike a Russian naval shipyard in Sevastopol overnight, British Sky News reported on Sept. 13, citing unnamed Ukrainian and Western sources.
An overnight strike on a shipyard in Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea damaged a Russian landing craft, a submarine, and port infrastructure, Ukraine's military intelligence told RBC-Ukraine on Sept. 13.
The U.K. announced on May 11 the delivery of Storm Shadows, which have a range of 250 kilometers (155 miles).
Ben Wallace, the defense minister at the time, said that the missiles would allow Ukraine to strike Russian military positions in Russian-occupied parts of eastern Ukraine and Crimea.
"Ukraine has a right to be able to defend itself," he said.
Until the U.K.'s decision to provide Storm Shadow missiles, Ukraine's maximum striking capabilities were U.S.-delivered HIMARS missiles with a range of 80 kilometers, unable to reach many of Russian-occupied areas.
Martin Fornusek
Russia's Defense Ministry reported that two vessels that were undergoing repairs at the Sevmorzavod repair facility sustained damages due to the attack on Sept. 13.
"As a result of the enemy cruise missile strike, two ships that were undergoing repairs have been damaged," the Russian Defense Ministry wrote on its official Telegram channel.
Moscow alleged that Ukrainian forces launched 10 cruise missiles and three marine drones against the Crimean shipyard used by the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
All three marine drones were reportedly destroyed by the "Vasily Bykov" patrol ship, and seven out of 10 missiles were shot down by air defenses, the ministry claimed.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the information.
In July, French President Emmanuel Macron said that France will transfer SCALP-EG cruise missiles, an equivalent to Storm Shadow missiles, to Ukraine to support its ongoing counteroffensive.
Ukraine continues to ask its allies to send long-range missiles so that it can reach targets deep inside Russian-occupied territory.
Kyiv is lobbying Washington to send Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, and for Berlin to send Taurus missiles, which have a range of 300 kilometers (190 miles) and 500 kilometers (310 miles) respectively.
"The longer the missile range, the shorter the war," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in August.
Elsa Court
