Putin beordrar styrkor att gå in i Ukraina - INVASION NU (2022-02-24)

Britain said earlier this month it would give Ukraine an unspecified number of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which are launched from jet fighters and have a range up to 150 miles and pack a bigger explosive punch than the rockets that Ukraine’s Himars fire.

“This will cause a ‘Himars effect’ on Russian logistics” at distances between 60 and 120 miles from the front line, said Trent Telenko, a former official at the Pentagon’s Defense Contract Management Agency who has studied Russian military logistics.

Ukrainian journalists have identified more than 220 Russian military targets beyond the reach of Kyiv’s Himars but within range of the cruise missiles, Telenko said. Their stockpiles include everything troops need, but especially artillery ammunition.

“All of them are now at risk,” he said.

If Moscow is compelled to withdraw vital supplies more than 120 miles from the front, forces within that band will be inside what Telenko called a “sort of logistical desert” and be forced to rely on extended, vulnerable supply lines.

The Storm Shadow cruise missiles can also threaten Russian air and naval bases in occupied Crimea, potentially thwarting Russian efforts to disrupt Ukraine’s offensive, analysts said. As well as lengthening Kyiv’s reach, the missiles carry a far heavier explosive payload than drones can, allowing them to destroy bunkers and fortified targets.

The stealthy missiles also have advanced guidance and targeting systems that allow them to fly low and be routed around Russian air defenses, increasing their chance of hitting targets.