Biden authorizes missile use; UK may follow with Storm Shadow

Joe Biden's decision has stirred significant emotions. The President of the United States granted Ukraine permission to strike Russia with ATACMS missiles, which have a range of up to 185 miles, bringing considerable joy to Kyiv.

"We now have a long 'Neptune' (Ukrainian cruise missiles) and not just one. And now we have ATACMS. And we will use all of this" – said President Volodymyr Zelensky. – "The longer Ukraine can strike, the shorter the war will be," adds Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha.

Ukraine has already utilized American missiles by attacking a military base in the Bryansk region, located about 81 miles from the Ukrainian border. The target was believed to contain ammunition originating from North Korea.

According to the British newspaper "The Guardian," the UK government might make a similar decision. Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly stated at the G20 summit that his country must increase support for Ukraine, and furthermore, Ukrainians should receive assistance for as long as possible. Starmer explicitly declared that Putin could not win the war.

If the UK proceeds with this, Ukraine could target a location up to 155 miles away. The missile's warhead weighs about 992 pounds, and the entire missile weighs over a ton. The production cost of one missile can be as much as 2.2 million pounds (3.9 million Canadian dollars).

Previously, the United Kingdom and France permitted Ukraine to use Storm Shadow, but it only targeted Russian sites located within Ukraine. President Emmanuel Macron had not ruled out the possibility of allowing Ukrainians to launch French missiles into Russia a few months ago.