The delivery to Ukraine of British Storm Shadow missiles appears to be positively affecting Kyiv’s offensive against Russia. Satellite data shows more than 900 war-related fires have occurred in Russian-occupied territories over the past two weeks. The analysis suggests there has been a fourfold increase in blasts since May 11 – and it appears to coincide with the moment Ukrainian troops started using the UK-delivered Storm Shadow missiles.
The study, carried out by the Economist, also showed the attacks have landed on the frontline between the cities of Kharkiv in the east to Kherson in the south.
Eastern European media Nexta shared on Twitter a brief clip showing a large column of smoke rising from the ground in Berdiansk – a port city in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in south-eastern Ukraine.
Local media reported a strong explosion in the area, which has been held by Russian troops for several months.
The UK delivered multiple Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine earlier this month to reinforce the occupied nation’s long-range strike capability.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said this would provide Kyiv with the “best chance to defend themselves against Russia’s continued brutality”.
Storm Shadow missiles have stealth capabilities and a firing range in excess of 250km.
A senior US military official told CNN earlier this month the Storm Shadow missiles are “real game changers from a range perspective”.
This uptick in fires comes as the world awaits the launch of Ukraine’s counter-offensive.
While the weather is getting ideal for an attack on Russian troops in the occupied territories, with dry conditions and temperatures hitting 25C in southern Ukraine, officials in Kyiv have been tempering expectations over the past few days.
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On May 11, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country needed “a bit more time” to launch its strike.
Explaining his country needed some more military aid, he told the press: “With [what we already have] we can go forward, and, I think, be successful. But we’d lose a lot of people.
“I think that’s unacceptable. So we need to wait. We still need a bit more time.”
On May 25, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Mr Zelensky, took to Twitter to share more details on the anticipated counter-offensive.
He said: “1. This is not a “single event” that will begin at a specific hour of a specific day with a solemn cutting of the red ribbon.
“2. These are dozens of different actions to destroy the #Russian occupation forces in different directions, which have already been taking place yesterday, are taking place today and will continue tomorrow.
“3. Intensive destruction of enemy logistics is also a counteroffensive.”
The day after this tweet was shared, Russia – which launched its full-scale invasion in late February last year – obliterated a medical clinic in Dnipro and killed at least two people, while at least 30 more including young children were injured.
Mr Zelensky described the attack as a “pure atrocity”.