Earlier, a Sputnik correspondent reported there were two explosions in Lugansk on Friday. The JCCC said that Kiev used two Ukrainian-made Grom missiles. Six children were injured as a result of the attack.
"According to specified information, on May 12, 2023, during a missile attack on the city of Lugansk, the Ukrainian armed forces used two Storm Shadow cruise missiles (Anglo-French production) and one anti-air defense missile ADM-160B MALD (US production)," the LPR’s representative office said on Telegram.
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Saturday that the strikes were carried out "using Storm Shadow missiles supplied to the Kiev regime by the UK, contrary to London's assertions that these weapons would not be used against civilian targets." The missile attack targeted a polymer manufacturing factory Polipak and a meat processing plant Milam in the city of Lugansk, causing a fire on their premises and damaging nearby residential buildings. Some civilians, including six children, were injured as a result, the ministry added.
Two Ukrainian military aircraft involved in the shelling, namely a Su-24 bomber and a MiG-29 fighter jet that was escorting it, were shot down by Russian fighter aircraft, according to the ministry.
Ukraine used a Storm Shadow missile again at 9:15 a.m. (06:15 GMT) on Saturday to shell the village of Yuvileine in Lugansk, the LPR's representative office said. The shelling injured an elderly woman and damaged seven residential buildings, 15 cars, 25 garages and a power line, the office added.
On Thursday, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed that London is sending Storm Shadow long-range cruise missiles to Kiev. The minister dodged giving a straightforward answer to a question whether there are any restrictions on the use of the missiles by Kiev by saying that he will not "talk in public" about possible limitations, as this is very sensitive information. The Russian Foreign Ministry slammed London's move as it leads to a serious escalation of tensions.