MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Italy might send Storm Shadow long-range missiles to Ukraine as part of the ninth military aid package, which is currently being prepared, Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano reported on Tuesday.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto intends to present the weapons that are to be included in the upcoming aid package during a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic by the end of June, sources told the newspaper. The package will reportedly involve not only the Samp-T air defense system, but also a number of Storm Shadows.
In May, UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that Italy, alongside France, was supplying Storm Shadow long-range missiles to Ukraine to allow Ukrainian troops to strike at the Crimean peninsula. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani then denied that his country was supplying Ukraine with weapons capable of reaching deep into Russia.
The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev since the start of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict. In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russian strikes.
