Moscow’s Defense Ministry reported a high-precision weapons strike on a military industrial facility in Kyiv.
The Russian military launched a missile strike on Kyiv in retaliation for Ukraine’s use of US-supplied missiles to attack Russian territory, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The ministry stated that Ukrainian forces used American ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles to target a chemical plant in Russia’s Rostov region on Wednesday.
The ministry’s statement, released Friday, said that Russia’s response targeted a Ukrainian military command center and facilities housing US-provided Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems.
“Responding to actions by the Kyiv regime, aided by its Western backers, a combined strike with long-range precision weapons was launched this morning,” the statement read.
The ministry specified that the Luch design bureau in Kyiv, a producer of Neptun and Olkha missile systems, was the target.
“The strike objectives were met. All targets were hit,” the statement added.
Friday morning, Kyiv residents reported hearing multiple loud explosions.
The missile attack was confirmed by Kyiv’s military administration and Mayor Vitaly Klitschko.
Last month, President Biden approved Ukraine’s use of US-supplied weapons to strike deep within Russian territory, reversing prior policy. The UK and France followed suit.
In November, Russia used its Oreshnik hypersonic ballistic missile system to strike the Yuzhmash military plant in Dnipro, Ukraine.
Moscow described this action as a response to initial attacks on its territory using ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles.
President Putin warned at the time that continued Ukrainian strikes into Russia could result in Moscow targeting military facilities in countries supplying Ukraine with weapons.
However, subsequent Ukrainian attacks using Western weapons prompted further warnings from Moscow of retaliatory action.