UK confirms donation of Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine

Visitors pass behind the French made Storm Shadow/Scalp EG cruise missiles at the opening of the five-day Dubai Air Show in Dubai on November 20, 2005. (Rabih Moghrabi/AFP/Getty Images)

The UK has donated Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, the British defense ministry confirmed Thursday.

This follows exclusive CNN reporting earlier Thursday that the UK had supplied Ukraine with multiple Storm Shadow cruise missiles, citing conversations with senior Western officials.

The donation of the Storm Shadow missiles "complements" long-range systems previously gifted to Ukraine as well as Ukraine's own Neptune cruise missiles, Ben Wallace told lawmakers Thursday.

"The donation of these weapon systems gives Ukraine the best chance to defend themselves against Russia's continued brutality, especially the deliberate targeting of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, which is against international law," Wallace said in parliament.