The latest Russian missile barrage against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine has killed at least 10 people and wounded dozens more, according to Ukrainian officials. The attack, which struck a residential district in the eastern city of Kharkiv, marks yet another escalation in Moscow's campaign of terror. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly condemned the strikes as 'an act of barbarism', but rhetoric alone will not stop the next salvo.
The threat vector here is clear: Russia is exploiting Western hesitation on long-range strike permissions to degrade Ukrainian morale and grid resilience. Each delay in authorising Storm Shadow deep strikes hands Moscow a strategic pivot point. The hardware speaks for itself: Kh-101 cruise missiles, likely launched from Tu-95 bombers over the Caspian, evaded Ukrainian air defences through saturation tactics.
This is a known pattern from the 2022 winter campaign. The intelligence failure is twofold: Ukraine's lack of sufficient long-range radar coverage and Britain's paralysis in providing the necessary countermeasures. Until the Ministry of Defence greenlights offensive operations against Russian launch sites, the theatre of aggression will remain inside Ukraine's borders.
The cost is measured in bodies, not just in pounds sterling.
