Kyiv: Ukraine has struck a key Russian chemical facility using UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, the country’s military confirmed.
In a statement, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine described the attack as ‘a successful hit’ that breached Russian air defences, adding that a full assessment of the massive combined missile and air strike is still underway.
According to Ukrainian officials, the target was the Bryansk Chemical Plant, a major component of Russia’s military-industrial network. The facility reportedly produces gunpowder, explosives, and rocket fuel used in Russian ammunition and missile systems.
Ukrainian military stated that, “The Bryansk Chemical Plant is a key facility of the aggressor state’s military-industrial complex.” The attack coincided with renewed pledges of Western backing for Kyiv. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders issued a joint statement vowing to intensify pressure on Russia’s economy and defence sector until President Vladimir Putin is ready to make peace.
The declaration—co-signed by leaders from Ukraine, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and the EU, stressed that Ukraine must be in the strongest position before, during, and after any ceasefire.
Russian retaliation and US response
Hours after the strike, Kyiv came under another wave of Russian air attacks, according to the city’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko. Witnesses reported multiple explosions as air defence systems engaged incoming threats. Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts toward ending the war remain uncertain. Following last week’s meeting between US President Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, Trump indicated he was not ready to supply Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine.
Plans for proposed talks between Trump and Putin in Budapest have also been postponed, with the US president saying he did not want a wasted meeting. Trump had signaled a shift in tone, suggesting Ukraine could win all of its territory back, referring to its internationally recognised borders.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, and Moscow currently occupies about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, annexed in 2014.
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