A prominent ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a chilling threat, warning that Moscow may deploy weapons capable of annihilating all life, following Ukrainian strikes on a key military airfield using suspected British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. The same missiles also reportedly targeted Sevastopol, the headquarters of Putin’s Black Sea Fleet in annexed Crimea.
Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Russian parliament and a member of the Kremlin’s security council, directed his warning at billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk. Volodin demanded that Musk block the use of his Starlink satellite internet service by Ukrainian forces, claiming that the technology is being used to target children.
Referring to a disputed strike on a dormitory in Starobilsk, located in the occupied Luhansk region over the weekend, Volodin stated: “The criminal Kyiv regime targeted defenceless children with drones. 21 children died, most of them girls. This is a crime against humanity, and it has no statute of limitations.”
He continued: “Zelensky and his cronies are responsible. Those who target children, the elderly, and women with missiles and drones are scum.... Elon Musk, for example, must understand that his satellites are being used to kill children.”
Volodin added: “His respectable image is completely at odds with what is actually happening. All this could lead to us using weapons that will wipe everyone out. We must not let things get to that point. Let's honour the memory of children.”
Notably, Russia’s own disclosures indicate that none of the 21 victims in Starobilsk were underage. Meanwhile, Putin’s forces have been responsible for the deaths of 791 Ukrainian children, with a further 2,752 injured, totalling 3,543 child casualties throughout the war.
Among the deceased in Starobilsk was Irina Zhivotikova, a 19-year-old student beauty contestant who won the title Miss Audience Choice in a February pageant, according to pro-Moscow sources. Ukraine, however, insists that its strike targeted the Russian Rubikon military special unit in Starobilsk.
In a separate development, smoke was observed rising from the ‘Baltimore’ military airfield in the Voronezh region, which houses Russia’s Su-34 fighter-bombers of the 47th Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment. This base is frequently used to launch strikes against Ukraine. The Exilenova+ Telegram channel reported that Storm Shadow missiles were likely used in the attack, hitting sleeping accommodation at the facility.
Additionally, Storm Shadow missiles were employed in a strike on Sevastopol, damaging a Russian Central Bank building. Earlier reports claimed that the acting headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet’s aerial arm had been targeted. In Tuapse, a fire broke out at the sea terminal near the oil refinery, marking the fifth recent Ukrainian strike on the Black Sea hub.
