Ukraine launched a “barrage of British Storm Shadow missiles” on a key war plant in Russia during some of its most devastating attacks of the four-year conflict.
Vladimir Putin’s military experts voiced dismay at the precise strikes targeting crucial defence installations, moaning this left the Kremlin dictator appearing “impotent”. The UK-provided missiles were fired by Ukrainian aircraft against a strategic facility in the border region of Bryansk.
The Silicon El plant manufactures microelectronic components for Putin’s Iskander ballistic missiles, S-300, S-400 and Pantsir air defence systems and Bulava submarine-launched nuclear missiles.
Video captured the moment a Storm Shadow cruise missile crashed into the factory, engulfing it in flames.
Enraged Russian sources claimed as many as seven may have struck the facility, alongside allegations Ukraine also deployed its domestically-produced Neptune missiles.
Six people were reportedly killed and 37 wounded in the humiliating assault with ambulances racing to the plant amid distressing scenes of the injured.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy was interrupted by his commander in chief Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi to be informed of the pinpoint strikes.
“Syrsky told me the operation was successful – a Bryansk plant that manufactured control systems for all types of Russian missiles was hit,” he said. “Well, I can only congratulate them. Our armed forces are doing a great job.
“It was a blow to our image,” protested the military Welders Telegram channel, amongst numerous others voicing fury over the Ukrainian attacks which occurred whilst global attention was fixed on the Middle East conflict.
“Everyone has either forgotten about the [Russian] red lines for the use of NATO weapons deep inside Russia, or we must now escalate the situation, remembering them.
(Image: ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO, POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
“The goal of the Ukrainian-British provocation is to expose the Russian leadership as impotent. The picture shows how densely Western missiles can fall on Russian cities -where was our air defence? ! – and strikes at the nervous system of all citizens.”
Another platform Fighterbomber raged: “How many missiles were shot down? Were any actually shot down at all?”.
However, additional targets were struck as well, with “a huge number of explosions” at KuibyshevAzot chemical facility in Tolyatti, Samara region. This facility proves vital for producing explosives for Russian military forces.
Blasts also struck two Black Sea holiday destinations – Sochi and Anapa.
Meanwhile in occupied Mariupol, an ammunition storage facility was set ablaze, with secondary explosions audible for miles. “Detonations are continuing,” reported a source.
Furthermore, the Ukrainians allegedly targeted Sevastopol, the command centre of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
There was additional misery for Putin following reports that Ukraine has nearly completely reclaimed control of Kupyansk in Kharkiv region.
Putin and his commander-in-chief Valery Gerasimov have repeatedly bragged about capturing the city. One Telegram pro-war outlet confessed: “Kupyansk is practically completely lost. The city is completely surrounded. In the centre, there are only a few very small forward groups of reinforcement, which are trying to gradually break out of the encirclement.
“There are 10 to 20 people left alive. The collapse of the defence occurred after the disconnection of the Starlink systems, after which the fate of Kupyansk was sealed.”
Starlink is a satellite internet network owned by Elon Musk, who prevented its use by Russian forces.
Two people were killed and five injured in a Russian attack on Kharkiv, according to local authorities.