As the war continues, Moscow accused Kiev today (Saturday) of using long-range British “Storm Shadow” missiles against civilian targets in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine, which is controlled by Russian forces.
And the Russian Ministry of Defense announced in a statement that the Storm Shadow air-to-air missiles that the United Kingdom supplied to the Kiev regime were used to carry out the strike, despite London’s statements that these weapons will not be used against civilian targets, according to what was reported by «Agence France Presse».
She pointed out that last night’s attack targeted two civilian factories, and that nearby residential buildings were damaged, and civilians were injured, including 6 children. It confirmed that it had shot down a Su-24 fighter plane that was carrying these missiles, and a MiG-29 warplane.
And London announced yesterday (Thursday) its intention to send “Storm Shadow” missiles to Ukraine, so that Britain would be the first country to provide Kiev with long-range weapons, in a move that Russia considered very hostile.
This missile is launched from the air and is “designed to meet the demanding requirements of pre-planned attacks against fixed, high-value targets,” according to the manufacturer.
Meanwhile, the Russian forces in Bakhmut redeployed, which required them to withdraw about two kilometers from their combat lines. Moscow described what is happening as a “repositioning”, but the founder of the Wagner Group, which is fighting in the city, considered what happened as a “destruction” of the Russian forces.
This coincided with news of progress made by the Ukrainian army in the southern neighborhoods of Bakhmut. A spokesman for the Ukrainian forces, Serhiy Sherivati, stated that the Kiev forces were able, during bloody fighting over the past three days, to liberate 17.3 kilometers of territory.
A spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov, acknowledged that Ukraine launched its attack on the Russian forces east of the city, by mobilizing more than a thousand fighters and 40 tanks. It is considered the largest Ukrainian attack since November 2022. The Russian spokesman added that the Russian forces repelled 26 Ukrainian attacks, but retreated in a specific area to redeploy to better combat locations.
