British missiles could soon be used against Putin deep into his own territory
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Four Ukrainian allies have reportedly removed range restrictions on deadly weapons supplied to the country, in a major win against the Kremlin.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has indicated Britain has removed all restrictions on the distance Ukraine can fire UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles inside Russian territory.
'There are no longer any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine, neither by the British, nor by the French, nor by us. Nor by the Americans,' he said.
'This means that Ukraine can now also defend itself, including by attacking military positions in Russia, for example. It couldn't do that until a while ago…. Now it can.'
Last year, Britain suggested its missiles could be used inside Russia, not only in the occupied areas of Ukraine. Today's announcement suggests the UK could soon allow Ukraine to strike even further into Russia.
Chancellor Merz's remarks also suggest he might begin supplying German Taurus missiles to Ukraine – which have a range of around 310 miles, or double the UK's Storm Shadows.
Despite the UK allowing the use of Storm Shadow missiles, there have been few uses by Ukraine.
Some military sources have suggested the British and French don't have enough missiles to resupply Ukraine, which are 'running dry'.
'The last strike using these missiles was in early January 2025 – more than four months ago,' the source said.
Chairman of the Russian parliamentary defence committee Andrey Kartapolov reacted furiously to the German Chancellor's suggestion, saying Ukraine was making a mistake if it kept fighting Russia on the advice of the West.
In November, Ukraine began using British-supplied missiles to strike Russia for the first time.
The US also announced that Ukraine could use American weapons to attack Russia around the same time.
But before the announcement that many Western countries would allow the use of long-range missiles to hit Russia, foreign intelligence warned that Russia would likely conduct 'lethal attacks' in retaliation.
These range from arson and sabotage on facilities in Europe to potentially 'lethal' attacks on military bases in the United States and Europe.
Officials have attributed previous acts of sabotage in Europe to Russia's military intelligence agency, the GRU. More Trending
Russia has been able to orchestrate sabotage attacks within the UK while never setting foot on British soil.
Last year, a British man was charged with plotting arson attacks on Ukraine-linked businesses in London after allegedly being recruited as a Russian spy.
It took more than four hours for 60 firefighters to tackle a March 20 fire at the Staffa Road industrial estate – a Ukrainian-linked warehouse in east London.
But as Russian expert Keir Giles told Metro earlier this month: 'There's no reason to think that after so many demonstrations of empty Russian threats, an extension of the use of missiles already in service would be the final straw that would trigger a suicidal response from the Kremlin.'
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
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