The United Kingdom has officially stated that Ukraine is permitted to use British weaponry and armored vehicles within Russian territory during the ongoing incursion in the Kursk region. This policy, unchanged from the previous Conservative government, allows for the deployment of British equipment inside Russia, with the exception of the long-range Storm Shadow missile.
Earlier this month, Ukraine launched a surprise offensive in the Kursk Oblast, a border province of Russia. Ukrainian forces have reportedly captured the city of Sudzha and approximately 74 settlements, leading to an estimated gain of 1,000 square kilometers of territory. The incursion has expanded into the neighboring Belgorod Oblast.
As reports emerged of British and German armored vehicles and tanks being used in the Kursk operation, the current government of Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that this usage aligns with British policy. The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) declared that Ukraine possesses a “clear right of self-defence against Russia’s illegal attacks that does not preclude operations inside Russia,” according to the BBC.
Specifically, Ukraine is authorized to utilize all British weapons and armored vehicles within Russia, excluding the Storm Shadow missiles. This encompasses a range of equipment, including anti-tank missiles, artillery shells, armored vehicles, and tanks. Former British Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace, whose authorization to Ukraine during Rishi Sunak’s premiership has been reiterated by Sir Starmer’s government, told The Times of London that the Ukrainian offensive is aimed at targeting logistics and infrastructure supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and deemed the use of British weapons in this context as “perfectly legitimate.”
Beyond British equipment, Ukrainian forces have employed various weapons and vehicles supplied by other nations in the incursion. George Barros, a researcher at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), reported to The Times that in addition to the German-supplied Marder armored vehicles, Russian media has documented the use of German mine-clearing tanks and tank transporters, as well as the US-supplied Stryker armored fighting vehicle and at least one French-supplied armored personnel carrier. Barros further stated that Ukraine likely utilized US-supplied M142 high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) to destroy a Russian convoy in Kursk.
While the United States allowed limited cross-border usage of its munitions in the Kharkiv region, where Russia launched a surprise offensive in May, allies have expressed apprehension regarding the use of Storm Shadow missiles within Russian territory. Sir Wallace explained that this reluctance stems from the potential for such missiles to be used for “decapitation strikes” against Russian leadership and crucial sites. He clarified that the authorization for the use of British weapons in this conflict is focused on targeting Russian military infrastructure and logistics supporting the invasion of Ukraine, emphasizing that the use of armored vehicles, machine guns, and anti-tank weapons fall under a different category compared to long-range missiles.
