Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking with long-range missiles received from Britain

The Russian Defense Ministry said the Ukrainian air force launched long-range Storm Shadow missiles recently delivered by the UK to strike targets in Lugansk.

"Storm Shadow cruise missiles delivered by the UK to Ukraine were used in the attack on two civilian enterprises in the city of Lugansk, despite London's statements that the weapons would not be used against civilian targets," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on May 13.

Russian officials accused Ukraine of targeting a polymer products manufacturer and a food processing facility. The attack also damaged nearby apartment buildings and injured several civilians, including six children.

The Ministry of Defense announced that the Russian air force shot down a Su-24 attack aircraft and a MiG-29 fighter jet of Ukraine participating in the attack on the city of Lugansk with Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

The Lugansk government also said that the Ukrainian army used two Storm Shadow cruise missiles, along with an ADM-160B MALD missile in the attack on May 12.

This could be the first combat use of the Storm Shadow long-range missile that Britain has just transferred to Ukraine. Meanwhile, the ADM-160B is a US-made decoy that could be deployed by Ukraine to cause difficulties for the Russian air defense network in Lugansk.

Kiev has not commented on the information released by Russian officials. The Ukrainian army has rarely attacked the city of Lugansk since the outbreak of hostilities in February 2022, due to a lack of long-range weapons that can hit targets there.

French Rafale MO2 fighter jet equipped with Storm Shadow long-range cruise missile. Photo: MBDA — French Rafale MO2 fighter jet equipped with Storm Shadow long-range cruise missile. Photo: *MBDA*

A large explosion was reported in the eastern suburbs of Lugansk on the morning of May 13. Leonid Pasechnik, a pro-Russian official in Lugansk, said firefighters had been dispatched to the scene, but did not provide an update on the number of victims. Some witnesses described the explosion as shattering windows in many houses and billowing thick black smoke.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed on May 11 that the country is providing Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine to "give Kiev the best chance of defending itself against Moscow", pushing back Russian troops present on the Ukrainian battlefield. The missile has a maximum speed of 1,000 km/h, capable of hitting targets at a distance of 250-560 km depending on the variant.

The Russian Foreign Ministry on May 12 condemned Britain's provision of long-range missiles to Ukraine, calling it a hostile act against Moscow and an expansion of the scale of the war.

A Western official said Ukraine had assured the British government that it would only use Storm Shadow missiles to attack areas controlled by Russia after the outbreak of hostilities in February 2022 and the Crimean peninsula, and not attack deep inside Russian territory.