Russia should consider striking Ukrainian nuclear facilities in the south and east of the country, said Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev, the current deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council.
Medvedev made the claim after reports that Ukraine, using Western-made missiles, was targeting the Smolensk nuclear power plant.
“If the attempt to attack the Smolensk nuclear power plant with NATO missiles is confirmed, the possibility of simultaneous Russian strikes on nuclear facilities in southern Ukraine and eastern Ukraine should be considered,” said Medvedev in a Telegram message.
The politician’s threats came after Russian sources said that the Ukrainian armed forces had fired two Storm Shadow missiles in the direction of the Desnogorsk nuclear power plant in the Smolensk region and a military airfield near Kaluga. Neither missile reached its target, as both missiles were shot down by Russian air defenses.
The two missiles hit civilian areas, one in a field and the other in a sawmill.
The origin of the missiles is currently being investigated, but if their Western origin is confirmed, this would be the first “attempted attack” by Kyiv on Russian territory with a weapon received from NATO member states.
Ukraine’s Western allies have repeatedly assured Moscow that such an attack would not happen, in order to avoid an escalation of the war.
A video has emerged of one of the missiles that hit, allegedly from the West.
