Ukrainian Storm Shadow missiles target Russian military post

One of the videos from the occupied areas of Ukraine shows Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles flying toward the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. The footage captures these missiles soaring over a pasture. A post on the @Osinttechnical account on platform X (formerly Twitter) indicates that these missiles were approaching a Russian-North Korean post in the Kursk region.

The potential for Ukrainian forces to use missiles like Storm Shadow or ATACMS to strike targets on Russian soil arose in the latter half of November 2024. Although this may seem like a pivotal moment in military strategy, experts suggest that the approval from Ukraine's allies will not significantly alter the operational circumstances on the front lines.

- The approval for using ATACMS or Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory doesn't alter the operational situation at the front. The ATACMS missiles have a maximum range of 186 miles, and the Ukrainians are already using drones to attack Russian territory at distances exceeding 621 miles. It's more a political issue than a military one - said Polish Commander Wiesław Goździewicz in a discussion with Wirtualna Polska Tech.

Storm Shadow missiles belong to the "fire and forget" category. This means they are programmed before launch and cannot be controlled afterward. These low-detectability weapons have a range of 186 to 311 miles, depending on the version. The missiles travel at altitudes between 131 and 492 feet, capable of hitting targets with an estimated miss error of 3-10 feet.

Each missile weighs 1.3 tons, with the majority of this weight being a 992-pound BROACH (Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented CHarge) warhead. The remaining weight includes the turbojet engine and necessary fuel reserves, allowing them to reach speeds ranging from 0.8 to 0.9 Mach.

The missiles' uniqueness also lies in their advanced guidance system. They employ traditional inertial and satellite navigation and are equipped with a fourth-generation infrared sensor (IIR). This sensor detects the thermal shape of a target or surroundings, as well as tracks terrain profiles, comparing them with a preloaded map. This allows the missiles to accurately navigate even if attempts are made to thwart them.

A challenge with using Storm Shadow missiles during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is the limited availability of carriers. Thus far, the missiles have been integrated only with Su-24 aircraft, and estimates suggest that Ukraine possesses only four of these aircraft.