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Italy Delivered Storm Shadow Missiles to Ukraine: UK Def Secretary

Italy sent Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine during the ongoing war, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has revealed.

The air-launched MBDA missile was first delivered to Ukraine by the UK in May 2023 and then by France.

“I do think the Storm Shadow has been an extraordinary weapon,” The Times quoted Shapps as saying.

“It’s the UK, France and Italy positioning those weapons for use, particularly in Crimea. These weapons are making a very significant difference.”

No Confirmation

Rome, however, has not announced the delivery of the missile to Ukraine.

An Italian defense ministry spokesperson declined to respond to Shapps’ remarks, according to Defense News .

A total of 200 Storm Shadows were bought by Italy in 1999. Rome reportedly deployed the missiles during NATO operations in Libya in 2011. 

Italy’s Aid to Ukraine

Last year, Italy announced delivery of the SAMP/T air defense system to Ukraine in coordination with France.

Earlier this year, the Italian parliament approved extending military support to Ukraine through 2024. 

The content of the weapons package was confidential. However, Rome reportedly plans to send Stinger surface-to-air missiles, mortars, and Milan or Panzerfaust anti-tank weapons, Browning heavy machine guns, and PzH 2000 howitzers and vehicles.

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'Things flying all over the place': Royal Caribbean cruise ship rocked by rough weather

A Royal Caribbean International cruise ship was rocked by rough weather that shook guest cabins and caused flooding around the ship, according to travelers on board.

The line’s Voyager of the Seas was on its way back to Galveston, Texas, as part of a round-trip, five-night sailing that visited Cozumel, Mexico. The cruise originally departed on Jan. 22.

Passengers told USA TODAY the ship sailed through three bouts of rough weather that brought rain, hail and high winds beginning late in the day on Friday.

Chelsea Ireland and her husband noticed the ship was approaching dark skies and rain around 2:30 p.m. The pair decided to stay in their balcony cabin, which seemed the safest place to be but felt the ship tilt heavily to one side.

“When we tried to walk across our room, it felt like we were walking up a very steep hill,” said the 30-year-old, who lives in Frisco, Texas. “And that lasted for about five minutes.”

When they eventually left their cabin, they saw some passengers walking around in lifejackets, and praying and comforting one another in the halls.

Elaina Escobedo, 21, was around the ship’s Royal Promenade when she heard what sounded like metal dishware hitting the ground. When she and her boyfriend arrived at her grandparents’ cabin, among several family members traveling with her, she found her grandmother’s wheelchair had rolled across the room and cups of lemonade and water had spilled (her grandmother was safe on her couch).

“There were just things flying all over the place,” said Escobedo, who lives in Port Arthur, Texas. She had been on eight cruises before and felt ships rock “but nothing to this extent.” Escobedo also posted a video on TikTok that her sister filmed, showing a chair being blown across an outer deck.

Both Ireland and Escobedo said their staterooms flooded as water filled their balconies, as well, though neither were as severe as some other staterooms they saw.

Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment.

The news comes after another Royal Caribbean ship, Serenade of the Seas, also faced flooding last month. The vessel, which is currently operating the line’s nine-month Ultimate World Cruise , got caught in rough weather off the coast of South America.

For Escobedo’s part, the experience wasn’t enough to prevent her from taking another cruise – eventually. “I don’t think it’d be anytime soon,” she said.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected] .

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Italy has given Ukraine long-range missiles, says UK defense minister

ROME — Britain’s defense minister has stated that Italy has sent Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, lifting the lid on months of secrecy surrounding Italy’s supply of weaponry to Kyiv.

Grant Shapps made the announcement while touring the factory in the UK where missile maker MBDA manufactures the Storm Shadow, which has been used by Ukrainian forces against Russian targets in Crimea and elsewhere.

“I do think the Storm Shadow has been an extraordinary weapon,” Shapps told The Times of London.

“It’s the UK, France and Italy positioning those weapons for use, particularly in Crimea. These weapons are making a very significant difference,” he said.

Britain has previously announced sending Storm Shadows to Ukraine, while France has announced sending its version of the missile, known as the SCALP-EG. But Italy has mostly declined to give any details on arms it sends to Ukraine and has never reported dispatching the MBDA missile.

On Monday a spokesperson with the Italian defense ministry declined to comment on Shapps’ remarks when asked by a Defense News reporter.

Italy first purchased the Storm Shadow from European missile house MBDA in 1999 and has received around 200, using them during NATO’s operation in Libya in 2011.

In January, Italy’s parliament voted to extend the supply of weaponry to Ukraine through 2024, despite disquiet amongst voters and opposition from some parties within parliament.

Hitherto, the country’s right-wing government has kept its list of arms packages for Ukraine secret, although it has reportedly planned to send Stinger surface-to-air missiles, mortars, Milan or Panzerfaust anti-tank weapons, Browning heavy machine guns, MG-type light machine guns, systems for countering improvised explosive devices, multiple-launch rocket systems, PzH 2000 howitzers and vehicles.

Last year the government announced it would send one Samp-T air defense system in conjunction with France.

Entering into service with the Italian Army in 2013, Samp-T is a truck-based tactical antimissile system designed to tackle cruise missiles, manned and unmanned aircraft and tactical ballistic missiles.

Italy has five systems.

Asked this month if Italy would respond to Ukrainian requests for another system given the uptick in Russian missile attacks in Ukraine, Italian foreign minister Antonio Tajani was noncommittal, stating, “We are doing everything we can to help Ukraine and give answers through the instruments we have.”

Speaking to The Times in the UK, Shapps also criticized Germany for holding back on sending Ukraine its Taurus cruise missile.

“France, Britain, and Italy have all shown that the Taurus, Storm Shadow, or Scalp are highly effective. While they’re in limited supply, Germany has many available. Therefore, yes, they should absolutely be provided. It would clearly make a significant impact,” he said.

Tom Kington is the Italy correspondent for Defense News.

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UK Secretary of Defence Reveals Italian Supply of Storm Shadow Missiles to Ukraine

UK’s Secretary of Defence unveiled that Italy, along with France and the UK, has supplied Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missiles to Kyiv, and urged Germany to provide Taurus missiles. This is the first time Italy is said to be among the nations supplying this type of missile to Ukraine.

“I do think the Storm Shadow has been an extraordinary weapon,” said UK’s Secretary of Defence Grant Shapps during a recent visit to the MBDA production site where the Storm Shadow cruise missiles are assembled, according to The Times . “It’s the UK, France and Italy positioning those weapons for use, particularly in Crimea. These weapons are making a very significant difference.”

This is the first time Italy is said to be among the nations supplying this type of missile to Ukraine: the Italian government has not officially announced the transfer, keeping the usual “low profile” when it deals with sensitive matters like weapons donations or procurements.

At the end of March the Italian Minister of Defense, Guido Crosetto said the value of the authorized 2023 exports to Kyiv had reached 417 million Euro. While the Parliament approved the decree which extended the authorization for the transfer of military vehicles, materials and equipment to Ukraine throughout 2024, the exact list of weapons is classified, even if most of the equipment supplied by Rome was made known by the Kyiv authorities or by the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky himself.

We have no reason to believe Shapps made a gross mistake mentioning Italy among the suppliers of the Storm Shadow, although this is still a possibility. Anyway, we’ll see whether the Italian MOD will confirm, deny or simply not comment the supply in the next few days.

The Storm Shadow missile

The MBDA Storm Shadow missile is a stealthy weapon weighing 1,300 kg and measuring over 5 meters in length. It is specifically designed for attacking heavily fortified and valuable targets from stand-off distance, ensuring aircraft and crews remain out of harm’s way even in high-threat environments and adverse weather conditions. The missile was first used in combat during the 2011 Libya Air War by RAF and Italian Tornado jets.

Publicly available information indicates that the Storm Shadow is equipped with a 450 kg conventional warhead and boasts an impressive range exceeding 250 km. The extended reach of the Storm Shadow missile provides the Ukrainian military with enhanced operational flexibility and the capability to engage targets at far greater distances than previously possible.

Italy has procured the Storm Shadow in 1999, and since then, the Italian Air Force has received about 200 Storm Shadow missiles, that the service has extensively used during Operation Unified Protector in Libya in 2011, with the Tornado IDS being, at that time, the launch platform. Each missile costs approximately 2.6 million Euro (about 3M USD).

The Italian Storm Shadows are used by the Tornado IDS, although the missile is also integrated with the Eurofighter Typhoon .

In Ukraine, the Storm Shadows missiles are carried in combat by the Ukrainian Air Force Su-24 Fencer .

The Storm Shadow missile, developed by MBDA, is a formidable precision-guided munition designed for striking high-value targets with exceptional accuracy and stand-off capability. This weapon, known for its stealthy profile and advanced navigation system, offers a robust solution for engaging hardened and well-protected targets while minimizing the risk to aircraft and crews.

Compared to other similar weapons like the Scalp EG and the Taurus missile, the Storm Shadow stands out for its unique combination of range, precision, and payload capacity.

The SCALP EG (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée – Emploi Général / Long Range Autonomous Cruise Missile System – General Purpose) is the French variant of the MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missile, which has been in use in Ukraine since May 2023. Just like the Storm Shadow, the SCALP EG is carried by the Fencer by using modified Tornado pylons .

Use in combat in Ukraine

Russia alleged that Ukraine employed Storm Shadow missiles to target industrial sites in Luhansk on May 13, 2023, shortly after the missiles’ delivery was announced. According to reports from Russian media, these cruise missiles were launched from Su-24s, supported by MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters equipped with AGM-88 HARMs . Ukrainian forces also utilized UAVs and ADM-160 MALD decoys to distract Russian air defenses and safeguard the aircraft and ordnance from interception.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov claimed in late May that the missiles had a perfect hit rate, although Russia’s Defense Ministry asserted that they had intercepted some.

In a significant incident on June 12, 2023, a Storm Shadow strike led to the death of Major General Sergey Goryachev in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, then Chief of Staff of the 35th Combined Arms Army. Subsequently, on June 22, a Storm Shadow missile targeted the Chonhar road bridge linking Crimea with Kherson Oblast, disrupting Russian logistics. A Storm Shadow missile crashed mostly intact in Zaporizhzhia in early July, with TASS reporting that Russian forces shot it down and retrieved the wreckage to study the missile’s design for countermeasures.

On July 9, 2023, a Storm Shadow/SCALP missile was intercepted by Russian air defense and later recovered. Another significant strike occurred on July 29, 2023, when a Storm Shadow or SCALP missile hit the Chongar Strait railway bridge between occupied Crimea and Kherson Oblast. On Sept. 13, 2023, similar missiles targeted Sevastopol port, causing severe damage to the Rostov na Donu submarine and reportedly irreparable damage to the Ropucha-class landing ship Minsk.

Further strikes with Storm Shadow and/or SCALP missiles occurred on Sept. 22, 2023, hitting the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol. Ukrainian military sources claimed that the attack targeted a meeting of Russian Navy leadership, resulting in casualties including the commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

Lastly, on December 26, 2023, two Storm Shadow or SCALP missiles were believed to have targeted the Russian-occupied port of Feodosia, damaging the Russian landing ship Novocherkassk and leaving it ablaze.

A message to Germany

In the same interview with the Times, Shapps sent also a message to Germany, which has decided against supplying its Taurus cruise missiles—comparable to the Storm Shadow—to Ukraine due to logistical concerns and the potential for escalating the conflict.

Shapps is adamant that they should reconsider. “France, Britain, and Italy have all shown that the Taurus, Storm Shadow, or Scalp [another iteration of the cruise missile] are highly effective. While they’re in limited supply, Germany has many available. Therefore, yes, they should absolutely be provided. It would clearly make a significant impact.”

The Taurus KEPD 350 is a German/Swedish missile that is manufactured by Taurus Systems GmbH, a partnership between MBDA Germany and Saab Dynamics. The missile has characteristics similar to the Storm Shadow, with a range of +500 kilometres (300 mi), and a speed of Mach 0.8-0.9.

• Italian Air Force
• Storm Shadow
• Ukrainian Air Force

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War in Ukraine: From Mariupol to Odesa, four naval cadets weather the storm

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Long Read Four young women from Mariupol dreamed of a career in the navy. Burdened by painful memories of the siege in the spring of 2022, they have taken refuge at the prestigious Odesa Maritime Academy, where they are waiting impatiently.

Covered in numbers and brackets, the blackboards at Odesa's National Maritime Academy conjure up distant horizons. "Let's take the case of a cargo ship sailing from Odesa to Naples," began the law professor in the maritime and river management section. "Knowing that the distance between the ports is 1,700 nautical miles and that the ship's speed is 16.5 knots, calculate the journey time if the additional travel time is 0.8 days." At the beginning of spring, another alert disturbed the silence of the classroom. Exercise canceled. Solving the equation of the open sea had to wait. The students of the prestigious naval school, whose reputation has spanned the globe for 80 years, packed up their pens to follow their class leader, recognizable by the yellow chevrons on her uniform.

Among them was Anna R., an 18-year-old student with blond braids, wearing a navy collar and striped shirt. She knows all about shelters and missiles: She's from Mariupol. In recent weeks, she has again heard drones pierce buildings, when Ukrainian anti-aircraft defenses failed to protect Odesa from Russian strikes, often launched from the Black Sea. "In February 2022, the port was expecting a land attack," recalled Dmytro Pletentchouk, spokesman for the Ukrainian naval forces, whom we met in a secluded park. "But the town of Mykolaiv stood firm and prevented the Russians from entering Odesa. Here, the war is now being fought from the sea." On April 10, four more people died, including a 10-year-old girl. A few days earlier, the city had been plunged into darkness. And Volodymyr Zelensky, who met the Greek prime minister at the port on March 6, himself saw a missile crash 500 meters away.

As in 2022, Odesa residents took refuge in the catacombs, which are no longer frequented by tourists. Foghorns and ship's whistles have resurfaced in the harbor of the country's largest seaport since Russia lifted its six-month blockade in fall 2022, but not a single cruise ship has docked in Odesa for two years. For the rare strollers, photos against the backdrop of the Black Sea and selfies in front of the Vorontsov lighthouse are discouraged. The SBU, the Ukrainian secret service, monitors social media, and neither Instagram nor TikTok should give clues to the enemy.

In the windows of souvenir stores, models of cargo ships and sailing boats gather dust, waiting for who knows who, who knows what. In front of the cathedral, destroyed last summer by a strike, amateur paintings of the city languish, kitschy and garish. The Fine Arts Museum, also damaged, is protected by plywood. And the famous International Film Festival, which once welcomed Catherine Deneuve, one of the few French actresses to publicly defend Ukraine, and to which stars from all over the world flocked every July, now takes place in Kyiv and Chernivtsi, in western Ukraine.

You have 84.91% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.

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