Ukrainian forces said late on Tuesday that they had targeted a chemical plant in Russia’s southern Bryansk region in a large-scale attack using Franco-British Storm Shadow air-launched missiles.
“A massive combined missile-and-air strike was carried out, including the use of air-launched Storm Shadow missiles, which successfully penetrated the Russian air defense system,” the General Staff said.
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“The results of the strike are being assessed,” it added.
On Tuesday evening, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed in a Telegram post to have downed some 57 drones over the Bryansk region, while Alexander Bogomaz, the regional governor, had previously written on Tuesday afternoon that the region was under attack from Ukrainian drones and missiles.
Ukraine’s General Staff went on to describe the plant as a “key facility of the aggressor state’s military-industrial complex,” saying that it produces gunpowder, explosives, and rocket fuel.
The Bryansk Chemical Plant had been singled out in the UK’s Sept. 12 sanctions package, and has also come under sanctions from the US.
The strike on Tuesday was a coordinated effort involving Ukraine’s Air Force, supported by the Navy, Ground Forces and other military units.
The Storm Shadow is a long-range, subsonic cruise missile launched from the air and built to strike pre-planned stationary targets.
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It has a range of between 155-349 miles and holds an advanced navigation system to allow it to hit enemy targets at a long distance.
It was developed in the 1990s by MBDA, a joint venture formed by leading British and French defense companies.
It weighs 1,300 kg and is equipped with a conventional 450 kg multistage Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented Charge (BROACH) warhead.
The UK granted permission to Ukraine to deploy its Storm Shadow cruise missiles against targets inside Russia last year, with the first reported strikes occurring in November.
Storm Shadows have previously been put to the task of striking targets in Bryansk and Kursk oblasts as well as in occupied Crimea.
It came after UK Defense Secretary John Healey said on Monday that Vladimir Putin regards Britain as his “number one enemy” due to UK efforts to provide support for Ukraine.
He also reiterated Britain’s willingness to join other nations in the Coalition of the Willing to form a so-called “Multinational Force Ukraine” to help secure Ukraine’s skies and seas and train troops if a peace deal can be struck with Russia.