One of Russia’s Pantsir-M air defense systems intercepted a Storm Shadow long-range missile fired by Ukraine, Russian state media reported on April 7. It appears to be the first time Russian sources have claimed that the country’s renowned naval air defense system has shot down one of the Western-made cruise missiles.

Specifically, the Russian state news agency on April 7 quoted Mr. Oleg Ryazantsev, CEO of High-Precision Systems (part of the state corporation Rostec), saying: "A ship on combat duty attacked the Storm Shadow missile. In other words, we are talking about the first successful use of the mass-produced Pantsir-M system against the Storm Shadow cruise missile."

“Pantsir-M is a system designed to counter such threats,” Ryazantsev said in an interview with Zvezda Plus TV channel.

“The naval variant of Russia’s Pantsir surface-to-air missile and anti-aircraft artillery system has made its combat debut, engaging and defeating Storm Shadow cruise missiles in the Ukrainian conflict zone,” Sputnik reported on April 7.

Dubbed the “sea beast,” the Pantsir-M is a naval variant of Russia’s renowned Pantsir air defense system. Moscow’s forces previously used the Pantsir S-1 ground-based system during the military campaign in Ukraine.

Pantsir-M is an anti-jamming naval close-in weapon system (CIWS) that entered service in 2018. Pantsir-M replaces Kashtan-M systems in the Russian Navy.

Russian state media have reported on the early stages of the Pantsir-M testing program that the system will be fitted on a variety of warships, including small missile boats and larger patrol boats.

According to open data, the Project 22800 Cyclone missile corvette is the only ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet equipped with the Pantsir-M complex, Sputnik reported.

Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense for comment via email. According to Newsweek, Ukraine's Western allies have provided some long-range strike capabilities to Kiev in the form of military aid.

The British government said last May that it was supplying air-launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine. Then, last July, the French government supplied SCALP cruise missiles – the French version of the Storm Shadow – to Ukraine’s war effort.

According to its British and French manufacturers, the air-launched Storm Shadow/SCALP has a range of more than 255 miles (410 km). Experts say the cruise missile’s actual range could be higher, depending on the variant.

Since being acquired by the Ukrainian military, the Storm Shadow and SCALP missiles have been credited with bringing remarkable success to Kiev. In September last year, the Storm Shadow missiles were used to attack the Russian Black Sea Fleet base in Sevastopol, west of the Crimean peninsula.

The missile attack damaged Moscow's Rostov-on-Don submarine and the Minsk landing ship at the Ordzhonikidze shipyard, Ukraine's military intelligence agency said .

Minh Duc (According to Newsweek, TASS)