Russia has issued a stark warning after Ukraine reportedly struck a major military airfield in occupied territory using suspected British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles.
The long-range cruise missiles are also said to have hit Sevastopol, the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in annexed Crimea, according to reports from the region.
The strikes mark one of the latest in a series of Ukrainian attacks on high-value Russian military infrastructure deep behind the front line, using Western-supplied precision weapons.
In response, senior Russian figures issued an escalatory series of threats, including rhetoric suggesting the use of extreme weapons in retaliation for continued Ukrainian operations.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Russian parliament and a member of the Kremlin’s security council, reportedly warned of the use of weapons that could “wipe everyone out” if Ukraine continues to rely on Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite communications system for military coordination.
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He said: “The criminal Kyiv regime targeted defenceless children with drones. 21 children died, most of them girls. This is a crime against humanity, and it has no statute of limitations.
“Zelensky and his cronies are responsible. Those who target children, the elderly, and women with missiles and drones are scum…. Elon Musk, for example, must understand that his satellites are being used to kill children.
“His respectable image is completely at odds with what is actually happening. All this could lead to us using weapons that will wipe everyone out. We must not let things get to that point. Let’s honour the memory of children.”
The remarks appeared to reference the role of private satellite networks in supporting Ukrainian battlefield communications, though no evidence was provided linking the system directly to the reported strikes.
The comments follow a disputed incident in the occupied Luhansk region over the weekend, in which Russian-installed authorities claimed a dormitory in Starobilsk was hit by Ukrainian forces. Kyiv has not confirmed responsibility for that strike.
Starlink, operated by SpaceX, has played a significant role in maintaining Ukrainian battlefield communications since the start of the war, though its use has repeatedly been the subject of political controversy.
Elon Musk has previously faced criticism and scrutiny over comments and policy decisions relating to the system’s use in Ukraine.
The escalation comes amid intensified fighting across occupied territories, where Ukraine has increasingly relied on long-range strike capabilities provided by Western allies to target Russian command centres, logistics hubs and naval infrastructure.
Russian officials have repeatedly warned that continued strikes on occupied regions will prompt further retaliation, while Western governments maintain that Ukraine has the right to defend itself against invasion.
Separately, Poland has warned that any attack on its diplomatic missions by Russia would be treated as a deliberate and intentional act that could trigger NATO’s Article 5, as tensions between Moscow and the Western alliance continue to intensify over the war in Ukraine.
The Polish foreign ministry said such strikes would constitute “unfriendly acts” and carry serious legal and international consequences, urging Russia to halt what it described as its “unjustified and illegal aggression”.
“Since Russia claims it is not waging a war but a so-called ‘special military operation’, which by definition should be limited to military targets, any attacks on other infrastructure, including diplomatic missions, must be regarded as unfriendly acts,” the ministry said.
“Therefore, any attack on Polish diplomatic missions will be regarded as deliberate and intentional.”
The latest exchange highlights the growing risk of escalation as both sides expand the range and sophistication of their military operations, with Western-supplied precision weapons playing an increasingly prominent role on the battlefield.
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