Ukrainian forces launched at least four British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at the coastal cities of Skadovsk and Genichesk on Friday, the acting governor of Russia’s Kherson Region, Vladimir Saldo, has said. The attack has reportedly inflicted damage to several residential buildings, with at least two people killed.
“Ukrainian neo-Nazis attacked the residential infrastructure of Genichesk and Skadovsk. Presumably, four Storm Shadow missiles were fired,” Saldo stated.
The attacks only impacted residential areas of the two cities, he said. Saldo accused Ukraine of deliberately targeting the civilian infrastructure to create an “illusion” of success amid its stalled counteroffensive against the Russian army.
According to reporting from the scene by RIA Novosti, two people were killed in Genichesk and a single story residential building heavily damaged.
The attacks come a day after Ukraine targeted crucial bridges connecting Kherson Region to Crimea. They were also apparently hit with Storm Shadow missiles, which inflicted structural damage.
The bridge over the Chongar Strait was damaged more heavily in the strike than initially believed, Saldo said on Friday. The roadway is expected to remain closed for at least 15 days while it undergoes necessary repairs.
The apparent uptick in long-range attacks on Russian territory comes shortly after Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu warned that Ukraine sought to use HIMARS and Storm Shadow missiles to attack various targets, including Crimea. Doing so would “result in immediate strikes against the decision-making centers in the territory of Ukraine,” the minister warned earlier this week.