Ukraine has been negotiating warplanes and long-range missiles with allies for a long time. Kyiv may indeed get both soon.
ThisChannel 24 was reported by the Russian opposition leader and publicist from the USA Andrey Piontkovsky. However, according to him, the planes and missiles will not be provided to Kyiv by the United States of America.
Piontkovsky suggested that other allies could provide such military assistance to Ukraine.
Conversation between Boris Johnson and Ben Wallace
The publicist recalled that in December 2022, a conversation took place in the British Parliament between former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace.
Johnson asked if Britain had the means to help the Ukrainians stop Russia's barbaric shelling. Wallace replied that the UK had such resources. These are Storm Shadow – air-launched cruise missiles,” Piontkovsky said.
The oppositionist noted that the British Minister of Defense expressed his readiness to provide Ukraine with such missiles if Russia does not stop shelling Ukraine.
Poles and British adapted MiG-29 aircraft for Storm Shadow missiles
According to the publicist, since the Storm Shadow are air-launched missiles, they need the appropriate aircraft.
“I know for sure from sources in Washington that these were not empty words. There has also been talk for a long time about that Poland is ready to transfer Soviet MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine,” the oppositionist said.
He recalled that earlier bureaucratic issues with NATO prevented the provision of MiG aircraft to Ukraine. However, now, according to Piontkovsky, such a process is quite possible.
For the next month after Johnson's conversation with Wallace, the Poles and the British worked on adapting the MiG-29 aircraft so that they could carry British missiles. In the near future, Poland and the UK may transfer 20-30 MiG-29 aircraft equipped with Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, the oppositionist said.
Piontkovsky noted that the official range of such missiles is 600 kilometers. However, experts suggest that Storm Shadow is capable of hitting objects at a distance of up to 1 thousand kilometers.
Russia is already afraid of Storm Shadow missiles
According to a Russian publicist, the fact that the probability of providing Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles is quite real is evidenced by the panic among Russian propagandists.
According to Piontkovsky, it is Colonel Mikhail Khodarenok, who once worked in the Main Operations Directorate of the Russian General Staff, spoke about these missiles at one of the propaganda shows.
“The Russians are already afraid of these missiles. At that show, Moscow's air defense capabilities were assessed. And Khodarenok spoke about Storm Shadow as a threat to Moscow,” the oppositionist said.
Ukraine may issue an ultimatum to the residents of Moscow
According to Piontkovsky, after the UK and Poland provide Ukraine with aircraft with missiles, Kyiv can deliver a strong blow to Moscow. However, not physical, but political and psychological.
The Ukrainian authorities may make a statement that in the event of a new missile attack on Ukrainian cities, Ukraine will hit certain targets in Moscow. This will be a serious signal both for the Russian elites and for society. – stressed the publicist.
He added that the residents of Moscow agreed to kill Ukrainians and even mobilized Russians, if only Vladimir Putin could satisfy his “geopolitical lust”.
“If you put Muscovites before a choice whether they are ready to die under missiles for the sake of Putin's fantasies, 99% of them will be against it. This unpreparedness will in a certain way affect the political decisions of the Russian leadership,” Piontkovsky said.
A big blow to Putin
He added that it is important to phrase the question in such a way that it will be a huge blow to the dictator.
“If Putin strikes strike on a Ukrainian city, and dozens of Storm Shadow missiles will fly in response to Moscow, then everyone in Russia will understand that only Putin is to blame for this,” the publicist said.
Ukraine asks allies for planes: in short
- The US Department of Defense is discussing the issue of sending F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. They note that the final decision has not yet been made.
- Germany does not plan to provide Ukraine with modern fighters. In addition, Berlin wants to avoid a possible escalation between NATO and Russia.
- Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki noted that Poland is ready to transfer its F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. However, according to him, this is only possible in coordination with NATO.
