Ukraine uses UK-made Storm Shadow missiles to hit Russian chemical plant

Ukraine has hit a Russian chemical plant with Storm Shadow missiles, its military said on Tuesday, referring to the UK-made long-range weapon.

Calling the strike a “successful hit” that penetrated Russian air defense systems, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said they were still assessing the impact of the “major” strike.

The Kremlin has warned the West not to provide Ukraine with weapons capable of long-range attacks, but Kiev says it is imperative to target Russian facilities that play a key role in Moscow’s war against Ukraine.

“The Bryansk chemical plant is the main facility of the military-industrial complex of the aggressor state”, the Ukrainian military said in X Post on Tuesday.

It added that the plant “produces ammo, explosives and rocket fuel components used in munitions and missiles used by the enemy to fire on the territory of Ukraine”.

Moscow authorities have not yet commented on the strike.

The attack came on the same day that British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders pledged to “increase pressure on Russia’s economy and its defense industry” until Russian leader Vladimir Putin is “ready to make peace”.

A joint statement co-signed by Ukrainian, German, French, Italian, Polish, Danish, Finnish, EU and Norwegian leaders – “Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position – before, during and after any ceasefire”.

Russia launched an overnight airstrike on the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Wednesday morning, the city’s mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Witnesses heard explosions that sounded like air defense units in operation, Reuters news agency reported.

Fresh Attacks a. came later A meeting was held at the White House last week between Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which the US leader indicated that he was not ready to supply Kiev with Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Trump initially agreed to hold talks with Putin about the war in Ukraine in Budapest, possibly in the coming weeks. But that plan was shelved on Tuesday Trump said he didn’t want a “wasted meeting.”.

In comments from the White House, the US president indicated that Moscow’s refusal to stop fighting on the current front line remained a key issue.

Trump appeared to make a major shift in his position toward ending the war just last month, saying Kiev could “win all of Ukraine back to its original form,” referring to Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It currently controls about 20% of Ukrainian territory, including the southern Crimean peninsula Moscow annexed in 2014.