BRITISH Storm Shadow cruise missiles penetrated Russian air defences to attack an ammo plant inside the country, the Ukrainian military has revealed.
The long-range air-to-air missiles were launched to attack a chemical plant that makes gunpowder and explosives – critical to Moscow’s war effort – in Russia’s Bryansk region.
The operation was carried out jointly by Ukraine’s Air Force in coordination with the Navy, Land Forces, and other military units.
Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces said: “A massive combined missile-and-air strike was carried out, including with air-launched Storm Shadow missiles that penetrated Russia’s air defence system.”
It described the plant as a “key facility” producing gunpowder, explosives and rocket fuel, which are used by the Russian military in its attacks against Ukraine.
Footage showed a massive fire burning from what looks like an industrial complex.
Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of the Bryansk region, said in a Telegram post that Ukraine was attacking the region with drones and missiles.
He added that no one was injured in the attack and no damage was reported.
The Russian Defence Ministry said that within four hours in the afternoon, its air defence units destroyed 57 Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region.
It rarely reports any damages inflicted by Ukraine in the war.
In November last year, the US authorised Ukraine to use American long-range missiles called ATACMS against targets inside Russia.
In the same month, Britain gave the green light for Ukraine to fire our Storm Shadow missiles at Russia.
The cruise missiles are a nightmare for enemies as they are capable of dodging air defences.
The £800,000 missiles – already being fired within Ukraine – use GPS to hit targets precisely and can travel at 600mph.
Moscow is now expected to ramp up its threats and nuclear rhetoric against Britain, which many at the Kremlin consider Russia’s top enemy.
British Defence Secretary John Healey said yesterday Vladimir Putin regards the UK as his “number one enemy” because of its support for Ukraine.
The Ukrainian strike comes as Donald Trump’s crunch talks with Vladimir Putin in Hungary have now collapsed, the White House confirmed today.
Trump claimed he and Putin had agreed to meet in Hungary in the coming weeks after a “very productive” phone call last week.
But a White House official has now confirmed that there are no plans for a meeting between Trump and Putin in the near future.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was due to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov – but the meeting was also called off.
The two instead had a phone call to discuss the “next steps” in the conflict.
The Kremlin described the call as a “constructive discussion” that dealt with “possible concrete steps to implement the understandings” between Trump and Putin.
An official explanation for why Lavrov and Rubio didn’t hold the first of several key US-Russia meetings is yet to be revealed.
But due to their recent interactions, many have potentially suggested a key breakdown in communications.
One source familiar with the matter believes Rubio and Lavrov had widely differing expectations about how to end Russia’s invasion in this chat.
Rubio is now unlikely to recommend that his president even attend a meeting with Putin, the source added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has now linked Washington’s decision not to give Kyiv long-range Tomahawk missiles to the collapse in the peace talks.
He said that “Russia almost automatically became less interested in diplomacy” when it became clear that Trump had delayed any decision to give the Ukrainians Tomahawks.
“Russia is once again doing everything it can to abandon diplomacy,” he added.
In recent days, Trump has shown openness to selling Ukraine long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles, even as Putin warned against it.
But following Thursday’s call with Putin, Trump appeared to downplay the prospects of Ukraine getting the missiles.
The long-range missiles have a maximum range of 2,500km with warheads that weigh almost half a ton – with military experts saying it will be a “game changer” for Kyiv.
Greenlighting Tomahawk cruise missiles would be hugely symbolic for Ukraine – underlining that Washington is clearly back on Kyiv’s side.
Kyiv sees the 1,500-mile-range missile as a critical deterrent. — one capable of crippling Russian supply lines and destroying missile and drone factories far behind enemy lines.
Zelensky met Trump on Friday at the White House in hopes of securing the delivery of the long-range missiles.
But he had to walk away without any commitments from the US president.
It comes as top US officials feel the Russian stance has not evolved enough for any constructive talks to take place between Trump and Putin.
This likely means that Moscow is continuing to refuse to end its invasion unless it is gifted as much Ukrainian territory as possible.
Trump had suggested the fairest way to divide up the key battlegrounds would be to simply pause the war based on the current frontlines.
Ukraine is reportedly open to discussions regarding a possible ceasefire in war zones, provided it can receive security guarantees in return.
But an ever-greedy Kremlin is refusing to accept any such trade-off.
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Instead, Russia wants Ukraine to cede territory in the Donetsk region, allowing Putin to control more land than he has stolen.
Moscow also wants Kyiv to demilitarise in a way which leaves it vulnerable to any future strikes.
