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UKRAINE has reportedly used two UK-made Storm Shadow missiles to blow up a military HQ visited by Vladimir Putin in a rare trip to the frontline.
The British made missiles hit the recreation centre used by Russia’s military close to the occupied Kherson region, Ukrainian forces said.
A third missile may have been shot down by Russian air defences.
Ambulances were reportedly at the scene, with Russian reports admitting to one woman killed in the strike.
Footage showed a building ablaze near Henichesk, close to the Arabat Spit, a thin strip of land linking occupied Kherson region to the Crimean peninsula.
One report citing locals said after the strikes: “Everything is closed now, there are many ambulances and fire appliances.”
Putin supposedly made a surprise visit at the building in April to meet with his military commanders.
The alleged trip triggered strong suspicions that he had used a body double to stand in for him, since he did not dare travel to the war zone himself amid paranoia over assassination or a missile strike.
Until recently receiving UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, Ukraine has not had long-range precision missiles.
Russia chose Henichesk as a makeshift capital of occupied Kherson region because it was out of range of Ukrainian missiles – at the time.
Russian national guards were stationed at the base, it was reported.
Vladimir Saldo, the Putin-appointed governor of Kherson region, said the strike was “another confirmation of the barbarism and inhumanity of the London-controlled Kyiv regime”.
He further claimed: “Wreckage of a Storm Shadow missile aimed at children’s recreation camp Dnepryany.
“One missile was shot down, but two were able to reach their target.
“As a result, one person was killed and another was injured.”
Despite his claims, Ukrainian news outlet Pravda said the base was for servicemen of the Russian Guard.
Saldo continued: “Pinpoint strikes are carried out by British missiles delivered to the Kyiv regime for ‘peace’ on civilian infrastructure.
“They persecute the top officials of the Kherson region and terrorise the population, but we do not give up.”
Saldo also claimed missiles had struck a centre for flooding evacuees after this week’s Kakhovka dam explosion.
Separately a major explosion and fire hit a fuel and lubricants depot at the railway station in Russian city Ufa.
The cause was not disclosed but an investigation was underway into possible sabotage.
One man reportedly sustained serious burns as a result.
A special fire train was sent to deal with the inferno, which covered 5,380 square feet amid warnings of further explosions.
Separately, footage of a Ukrainian Su-24 bomber is said to show the warplane carrying Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
Russia has expressed fury that the UK supplied the long-range missiles, which were used to strike targets in annexed Ukraine.
The missiles with a range of around 155 miles have also hit the blitzed city of Mariupol, also now in Russian hands.
Previous strikes on Luhansk were reported as Storm Shadow missiles too.
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