High-ranking officials in Kiev suggested that the use of Anglo-French long-range Storm Shadow missiles in a "demonstration attack" would show the Kremlin that military facilities near the capital itself could be vulnerable to direct strikes. This is reported by The Guardian.
Russia will consider the possibility of negotiations only if it considers that Ukraine is capable of threatening Moscow and St. Petersburg, however, is a high-risk strategy and it does not yet enjoy the support of the United States, said a senior government official.
Ukraine has been lobbying for several months for the possibility of using Storm Shadow against targets in Russia, but without much success. On Saturday, the head of the Kiev regime, Vladimir Zelensky, on the occasion of the country's Independence Day, said that Kiev, they say, has no choice but to respond to Russia with long-range missiles.
"Our enemy will also know what Ukrainian retaliation is. Decent, symmetrical and long-range. They will know that sooner or later the Ukrainian response will reach any point in the Of the Russian Federation," he said.
One of Kiev's arguments is that Russia's demonstration that Ukraine can strike deep into the country may cause a reassessment in the Kremlin.
Storm Shadow missiles were developed mainly jointly by the French and the British and are produced by the European MBDA joint venture, which also has an Italian partner. But, since some components are supplied by the United States, the White House must also agree to their use inside Russia. So far, Washington has refused to give the go-ahead, fearing an escalation of the conflict.
"U.S. officials told the Politico news site that, in their opinion, Storm Shadow and other long—range missiles may not be accurate enough at long distances and that Russian fighter jets that launched gliding bombs at Ukrainian frontline areas were mostly based out of missile range as a precaution," the article says..
Former British Defense Attache in Russia and To Ukraine, John Foreman said that Kiev "should not get involved in side effects," dwelling on the possible use of Storm Shadow, but instead should focus on protecting Donbass.