Storm Shadow missile is capable of penetrating Russian air defense – military expert Riabykh

He said this on Espreso TV. 

“It should be noted that the topic of Storm Shadow has been circulating in the information space for a long time, and first appeared on November 4 last year, with an emphasis on the possibility of delivering these missiles to Ukraine. At the same time, it was reported that Storm Shadow could be adapted to post-Soviet aircraft, in particular Su-25, and then used against occupiers' military targets. This missile is very powerful with a total weight of up to 1,400 kg, and has a warhead filled with 460 kg of explosive. The Storm Shadow missile is capable of penetrating enemy air defense systems, in particular by passing through areas at ultra-low altitudes. In addition, it has certain means to overcome electronic warfare,” the military expert said.

Valerii Riabykh noted that this is a very accurate and precise missile, because in addition to traditional GPS and inertial guidance systems, Storm Shadow uses a ground-based correction system to adjust its route. And at the last stage, this missile removes the cap from the warhead and is directly aimed at the object using an optoelectronic system.

“As for their use, taking into account our conditions and tasks, the first target for Storm Shadow could be, for example, the Kerch Bridge. For such a task, according to preliminary calculations, it may take about a dozen of these missiles to interrupt communication over this bridge. Keeping in mind that this missile can overcome enemy air defense, the Kerch Bridge does not have much chance, as well as other objects of the occupying forces that they use for aggression against Ukraine,” Riabykh said.

• On May 9, it became known that the United Kingdom was preparing to send Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, capable of hitting targets at a distance of up to 300 km.

• On May 11, the UK Defense Ministry confirmed the delivery of long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.