The Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday said Ukrainian forces have already used British-provided long-range Storm Shadow missiles in attacks on the Russian-controlled Donbas city of Luhansk.
The claim from Moscow came just a few days after British Defense Minister Ben Wallace confirmed London began shipping Kyiv Storm Shadows, which have a range of about 250 kilometers (155 miles).
The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukraine launched the missiles on Friday and claimed they hit civilian targets, including a meat processing plant in Luhansk. Moscow also said homes were damaged and several people were wounded, including six children.
“The attack used Storm Shadow air missiles supplied by the UK to the Kiev regime despite London’s statements that those weapons would not be used in attacks on civil facilities. Residential houses in the vicinity were damaged. Casualties were reported, including six children,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov.
Konashenkov added that Russian forces downed the Soviet-made SU-25 aircraft that fired the missiles and a MiG-29 fighter that accompanied it. According to the Kyiv Independent, as of Sunday afternoon, the Ukrainian government has not commented on the Russian claims.
Naturally any news that comes out for the public consumption is already stale. But I’m curious about Russian retaliation.
I’m not sure if it was retaliation. But Russia destroyed something very big in Ternopil (near the Polish border) recently. Some kind of western aid is not going to get to the Donbas this week.
Update: Also see this, from Antiwar.com:
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/gigantic-fireball-explosion-rocks-town-in-western-ukraine
If the Russians had hit the meat plant they’d be accused of trying to starve the population that remains in the area.