MOSCOW (Agencies): Russian state media has reported a significant advancement in Russia’s defense capabilities with the successful interception of a long-range Storm Shadow missile by the Pantsir-M naval air defense system. This marks the first time the Russian naval air defense system has neutralized a Franco-British long-range air-launched cruise missile.
The interception was confirmed by Oleg Ryazantsev, General Director of the High-Precision Complexes Holding (part of Rostec), in an interview with the Military Acceptance program on the Zvezda Plus TV channel. He stated that the Pantsir-M system, which was specifically designed to combat threats posed by cruise missiles, had effectively engaged the Storm Shadow missile while the ship was on combat duty.
Currently, the only vessel in the Black Sea Fleet equipped with the Pantsir-M complex is the Karakurt-class corvette Cyclone of Project 22800.
The intercepted Storm Shadow missile was supplied by Ukraine’s Western allies. The British government confirmed deliveries of air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine in May 2023. Later in July, the French government declared its intention to provide Ukraine with its variant of the missile, the SCALP, to support Ukraine’s efforts in countering Russia.
The successful interception of the Storm Shadow missile by the Pantsir-M system is particularly significant, given the losses suffered by the Russian Black Sea fleet since the conflict escalated in February 2022. Over the past year, Storm Shadows and SCALP missiles have been attributed to several high-profile successes for Ukraine’s military, including strikes on Russia’s Black Sea fleet naval base in Sevastopol, Crimea.
Ukrainian officials estimate that up to a third of the fleet has been lost due to a combination of Ukrainian missile and drone strikes. These destructive strikes using Western weapons pose a notable embarrassment to Moscow, especially when directed at strategic assets such as the Black Sea fleet.