With Russia's withdrawal from missile treaty, Storm Shadow strikes may target Crimea - Defense Express expert Kyrychevskyi

Defense Express expert Ivan Kyrychevskyi shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"Storm Shadow’s stated range of 255 km was an assumption of Western experts, who proceeded from the fact that Ukraine was supplied only with an export version. But there are no bans on giving us cruise missiles in the basic version with a range of 500 kilometers. Given that Russia has violated the agreement on limiting short- and medium-range missiles in Europe, the British, known for their cunning nature, might retaliate in a similar fashion. Perhaps this revenge for the breakup of the INF Treaty will materialize in the form of Storm Shadow strikes that will still reach Crimea," he said.

• On August 2, 2019, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the US and Russia came to an end after both sides officially withdrew from it.

• On May 11, 20023,  the British Ministry of Defense confirmed the transfer of long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine.

• On May 16, CNN cited anonymous sources as saying that Ukraine had already begun using long-range missiles.

• On May 24, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov confirmed that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were already using long-range Storm Shadow missiles.

• On June 20, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu threatened to strike at "decision-making centers" if Ukraine uses HIMARS and Storm Shadow missiles to attack Russia and Crimea.