While Ukrainian forces tend to treat each new addition to their arsenal supplied by the West as a game changer, their jubilation tends to be short-lived as Russian forces swiftly learn how to deal with these threats. A Storm Shadow cruise missile Kiev recently got from the UK proved to be no exception.
Yesterday, Russian air defense units operating in the Ukrainian conflict zone shot down two Storm Shadow missiles, as well as several other airborne threats.
"Air defense systems have intercepted two Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles, 19 HIMARS MLRS rockets and two HARM anti-radiation missiles," the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
Also, some 12 UAVs operated by Kiev forces were shot down by Russian air defense units in Russia's Lugansk People's Republic, Donetsk People's Republic and Zaporozhye region.
The United States and its allies have supplied billions of dollars worth of weapons and military hardware - including small arms, artillery, multiple launch rocket systems and air defense systems - to Ukraine, fanning the flames of the ongoing conflict in the country and effectively helping prolong the fighting and the suffering of the Ukrainian civilians.