Ukraine can use British weapons & vehicles inside Russia in Kursk incursion, says UK

The United Kingdom has said that Ukraine can use British weapons and armoured vehicles inside Russia in the ongoing Kursk incursion.

The British government said its policy had remained unchanged since the previous conservative government’s that had allowed Ukraine to use British weapons and vehicles inside Russia — with the exception of long-range Storm Shadow missile.

Earlier this month, Ukraine launched a surprise incursion in Russia’s border province of Kursk. In lightening success, Ukraine has claimed to won the city of Sudzha and around 74 settlements. Independent analysts have assessed that Ukraine has captured around 1,000 square kilometres of territories in the ongoing incursion that has now spread to second border province of Belgorod.

As reports of British and German armoured vehicles and tanks being used in Kursk have surfaced, the Sir Keir Starmer’s government has confirmed the usage would be in line with the British policy.

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Ukraine has a “clear right of self-defence against Russia’s illegal attacks that does not preclude operations inside Russia”, according to the BBC.

What British weapons can Ukraine use inside Russia?

Ukraine can use all British weapons and armoured vehicles inside Russia with the exception of the long-range Storm Shadow missiles.

This means that anti-tank missiles, artillery shell, armoured vehicles, tanks, etc. can be used inside Russia.

Former British Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace, whose authorisation to Ukraine during Rishi Sunak’s premiership has been reiterated by Sir Starmer’s new government, told The Times of London that the ongoing Ukrainian offensive was designed to go after logistics and infrastructure supporting Russia’s invasion of Ukraine it was “perfectly legitimate” for Ukraine to use British weapons.

Which foreign weapons have Ukraine used inside Russia?

As the Ukrainian invasion of Russia continues, George Barros, a researcher at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), told The Times that in addition to the German-supplied Marder armoured vehicles that Russian media have reported to being used in Kursk, German mine-clearing tanks and tank transporters along with the US-supplied Stryker armoured fighting vehicle and at least one French-supplied armoured personnel carrier have also been spotted.

Barros further said that Ukraine also likely used US-supplied M142 high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) to destroy a Russian convoy in Kursk.

Elsewhere, in Kharkiv, where Russia launched a surprise offensive in May, the United States had allowed Ukraine the limited cross-border usage of its munitions.

Sir Wallace, the former British Defence Secretary, told The Times that the permission for cross-border usage of Storm Shadow missiles was not granted as allies were apprehensive about such usage.

“It was the long-term policy under my stewardship of defence that Ukraine had a right to use whatever weapons [were] supplied to it in going after the Russian military infrastructure and enablers that were supporting the prosecution of the illegal invasion of their country. If that involved the use of British weapons, as long as they were used in accordance with international law that was always permitted," said Wallace.

“Long-range missiles stir Russian, and before that Soviet, fear about decapitation strikes against the leadership and key sites. Armoured vehicles, machine guns and NLAWS [anti-tank weapons] are a very different kettle of fish," said Wallace, adding that it explained why allies have been reluctant to grant permission to Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles inside Russia.