Britain has confirmed that it has provided Ukraine with long-range Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of over 250km, and which it requested for its fight against Russian forces. The UK’s decision follows repeated pleas from Ukraine for more weapons from the West, after Russia targeted Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. The weapons will grant Ukraine the ability to defend itself and strike targets deep behind the front line. However, Ukraine has previously stated that longer-range missiles would not be used to attack Russian targets. There is concern amongst Western allies that Ukraine could use long-range missiles to strike against targets in Russia, potentially triggering Moscow's response. Britain has warned Russia of further gifts of capable weapons in December 2021 that could result from further attacks on Ukraine. Russian state news agencies have described the move as “escalating tensions”.