Ukraine's UK Storm Shadow Missiles Devastating Russian Military Targets

Last year's magic weapon was the US HIMARS. Their effectiveness is decimating rear area logistics, weapons and troops forced the Russians to move their command, control and supply centers beyond HIMARS range. 

But UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles have a longer range than HIMARS and are harder for the Russians to jam, making them devastatingly effective. Troop and weapons concentrations around Mariupol have been especially hard hit this past week. JL  

Kos reports in Daily Kos:

With its new longer-range Storm Shadows, Ukraine is pounding Russian troop and equipment concentrations that had been moved back beyond HIMARS rocket range. British-supplied Storm Shadows cruise missiles targeted a resort facility used to barrack Russian forces. Local partisans reported that the barracks were occupied by newly arrived Russian military personnel, and Ukrainian officials claim 100 were killed, more than 400 wounded. At least one Russian Telegram source claims that successive strikes on Mariupol targets have killed more than 450 Russians. With its new longer-range Storm Shadows, Ukraine is pounding Russian troop and equipment concentrations that had been moved back beyond HIMARS rocket range. The difference with the Russians? Ukraine is striking military targets.

 

British-supplied Storm Shadows cruise missiles targeted a resort facility used to barrack Russian forces. Local partisans reported that the barracks were occupied by newly arrived Russian military personnel, and Ukrainian officials claim 100 were killed, more than 400 wounded. At least one Russian Telegram source claims that successive strikes on Mariupol targets have killed more than 450 Russians. 

It’s clear by now that attempting to kill civilians isn’t assisting Russia’s war effort. To the contrary, it’s hardening national resolved to expel all Russian forces from Ukraine, regardless of the cost.  

Yet instead of using those expensive rockets, missiles, and drones to hit rail stations, tracks, bridges, military bases, air bases, logistical hubs, fuel depots, and other targets that could advance Russia’s military campaign, they continue to waste their ordnance on militarily insignificant targets. 

Now, I don’t mean to minimize the impact of civilian casualties from Russia’s indiscriminate bombings, which we see daily. But from a military strategic perspective, it’s unbelievable how uninterested Russia seems in actually trying to win this war. The only rationale that makes sense is that Russia wants to freeze the current lines, and thinks that the mass murder of Ukrainian civilians will bring Ukraine back to the negotiation table for a cease fire. 

Russia might have also believed the leaked intelligence document that claimed Ukraine was running low on air defenses and aims to deplete Ukraine’s remaining stock. Yet if the last month has proven anything after 16 strikes on the capital, it’s that Ukraine’s allies responded robustly to that predicament (back in February), and that the country’s current air defenses are perfectly capable of handling everything Russia sends their way. 

Russia could certainly use its Shaheed drones the way Ukraine is: targeting military vehicles and trenches.

The fact that Russia insists on targeting civilians is a de facto admission that they have given up the military campaign. They know they can’t win on the battlefield. Their best hope, as stupid and evil as it is, is that Ukraine sues for peace to stop civilians from being targeted. 

Except Russia can’t even land most of their targets. And since U.S.-made Patriots arrived from the U.S., Germany, and the Netherlands, Russia’s supposed “hypersonic” Kinzhal missile is no longer hitting its targets.