Missile Attacks on Luhansk – British Cruise Missiles?
Updated on 05/13/2023 – 09:33Reading time: 2 min.
Luhansk: Recordings show massive clouds of smoke over the city. (What: t-online)
Two rockets apparently landed in Luhansk. The city is far from the current front.
According to the Russian occupiers, two major explosions have occurred in the eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk. The administration deployed by Moscow in the annexed region accused the Ukrainian army on Friday of firing rockets at the city, which is almost 100 kilometers from the front.
According to a report by the Russian news agency TASS, a former plastics factory belonging to the chemical company Polipack was hit. She refers to statements by Rodion Miroshnik on Telegram, who represented the occupied region in Moscow for some time.
Duma deputy allegedly injured in attack
Late on Friday evening, pictures also appeared that are said to show Russian MP Viktor Vodolatsky. He is led out of the rubble in a military uniform with injuries to his face. The Russian news agency Ria Novosti, citing local authorities, reported that the Russian politician was injured in the attack. Vodolatsky was in town for celebrations marking the anniversary of what Russia called the occupation of the region, which Russia called liberation.
Have British Shadow Storm missiles already been used?
There had been speculation on social networks and among military experts whether the first British Storm Shadow cruise missiles had already been used. On Thursday, the British government announced that it would deliver this type of missile to Ukraine with a range of around 250 kilometers. The Storm Shadow missiles are usually launched from fighter jets. It is unclear whether the first models are already in Ukraine.
The background to the assumptions is the location of the explosions: Luhansk is far from the current front. The Himars missiles supplied by the West, for example, would not reach Luhansk from the front positions currently known.
Pro-Russian military blogger Rybar, citing residents in the area, reported hearing the sound of a plane flying and a missile launch. He suspected that a test flight of a British missile was responsible. However, there is no independent confirmation of this. “In the near future, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will try to carry out similar attacks on other facilities in the rear, including Russian aviation airfields,” he wrote on Telegram.
Rocket type speculation
Luhansk politician Rodion Miroshnik speculated on Telegram that the missiles could have been Soviet-designed Tochka-U missiles from Ukraine. These have a range of about 120 kilometers. He reported that the rockets were probably fired from Chasiv Yar, west of the Bakhmut.
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The US broadcaster CNN reported that the coordinating committee of the self-proclaimed separatist republic of Luhansk spoke of Grom missiles on Telegram. These Ukrainian missiles also have a range of about 120 kilometers and are comparable to the Russian Iskander missiles. So far, however, no evidence, such as photos of debris, has been presented by the Russian side.
Authorities report six injured children
It is also unclear why the factory was the target of an attack. Tass initially spoke of the occupiers’ attacks on civilian infrastructure. Six children were injured. The administration later confirmed that a factory building had been hit. Videos showed thick clouds of black smoke rising. The news service Nexta spoke of an oil depot that had been hit. It is also believed that Russian equipment was repaired at the factory. Luhansk is considered an important transhipment point for Russian troops.
