Russia claims to have shot down one of the two Storm Shadow cruise missiles used by Ukraine in the attack on the city of Lugansk.
"Air defense systems intercepted one Storm Shadow cruise missile, seven HARM anti-radar missiles and 7 rockets from the HIMARS system within the past 10 hours," Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said today.
This is the first time the Russian military has claimed to have shot down the Storm Shadow missile supplied to Ukraine by Britain. General Konashenkov did not disclose the air defense system deployed to deal with Ukrainian missiles.
Russian medium-range air defense complex Buk-M3 deployed in Zaporizhzhia province earlier this month. Image: Ria Novosti
The Center for Joint Control and Coordination (JCCC), the Russian organization that monitors raids in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, earlier announced that a Ukrainian plane had launched two Storm Shadow missiles at the Lugansk Aviation Pilot Training School facility, which has been closed since 1997. No one was injured in the incident.
The Ukrainian military has not commented on the information.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that Ukrainian forces first used Storm Shadow missiles in raids on abandoned buildings belonging to Polypak polymer company and Milam food processing factory on May 12. A day later, Russian officials said that a Storm Shadow rocket crashed into the village of Yubileyny on the outskirts of Lugansk, injuring an elderly woman and damaging seven apartments.
Missile fragments were found at the site of an air strike in the Lugansk province on the morning of May 15. Image: Ria Novosti
The Lugansk official said that Ukraine also deployed US-made ADM-160B decoys in raids with Storm Shadow missiles, in order to make it difficult for Russian air defense nets.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace on May 11 confirmed that the UK is providing Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine to "give Kiev the best chance when it comes to defending itself against Moscow". The missile applies stealth design, has a maximum speed of 5 km / h and a range of 1.000-250 km depending on the version.
The Russian Foreign Ministry on May 12 condemned Britain's aid to Ukraine with long-range missiles, calling it an act of hostility to Moscow and an expansion of hostilities.
Military Department of Ukraine. Graphics: WP
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 2 and the Crimean peninsula, not to strike deep into Russian territory.
The Ukrainian military has rarely raided the city of Lugansk since the outbreak of hostilities in February 2, due to a lack of long-range weapons that can hit targets there.
Vu Anh (Follow Ria Novosti, AFP)
