Ukrainian forces have fired two UK Storm Shadow cruise missiles at the city of Luhansk, Russian separatists have claimed.
The cruise missile attack hit their targets which Moscow has warned this is now a “considerable escalation of the conflict.”
The Luhansk People’s Republic said that Ukrainian forces blew up targets in the east of the country and Moscow has claimed that the missile strike hit a meat processing factory.
Russian ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin has hit out at London saying that the UK are playing an active and “leading role” and are “extending and escalating” the conflict.
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According to Russian state news agency Tass, Defence Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant-General Igor Konashenkov said on Saturday, “On May 12, at around 6.30 pm Moscow time the Ukrainian air forces’ combat aircraft carried out a missile strike on the polymer maker Polipak and the meat-processing enterprise Milam in the city of Luhansk.
“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.”
There are reports that one missiles blew up a building being used to supply Russian troops and another hit a Russian barracks which is a former government building.
Defence analyst Lt Col Stuart Crawford told the Express, “Storm Shadow brings two immediate benefits for the Ukrainians.
“The first and most obvious one is that they can now interdict, disrupt, and destroy their enemy’s communications, arms dumps, and reserve forces far to the rear.
“The Kerch Bridge is an obvious target, as is the Russian Black Seas Fleet in Sevastopol. All of Crimea is now within range.”
Russian ambassador to the UK Andrey Kelin on Friday accused the UK of supplying Storm Shadow missiles to allow them to strike Russian cities, according to a statement shared with TASS.
Referring to the ambassador’s speech, the statement said, “He emphasised this means considerable escalation of the conflict and an expansion of the military operations area.
“It has been noted that Western countries used to be cautious enough to avoid sending Kiev weapons like this.
“It’s obvious for us that London made this step to enable Kyiv to strike Russian cities and villages, including the territory of Crimea.
“We regret that the UK, which has nothing to do with this conflict, nevertheless plays a leading role in extending and escalating it.”
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