Tension escalates as head of Ukrainian plant says Kiev may stage missile attack on Russian critical infrastructure

Tension between Kiev and Moscow have rapidly escalated as head of Ukrainian plant was quoted saying that Kiev may stage missile attack on Russian critical infrastructure.

Kiev has recently decided to stop financing the Pavlograd Chemical Plant, which is responsible for the production of solid rocket fuel needed to produce all kinds of Ukrainian missiles, including Olkha.

The move was criticised by several stakeholders.

The Ukrainian media outlet Censor.net quoted the head of Pavlograd Chemical Plant, Leonid Shiman, as saying that Kiev may use the Olkha multiple launch rocket system to strike against Russian infrastructure facilities.

“Olkha may strike at its [Russia’s] critical infrastructure, including ‘Kamensky’”, Shiman said, referring to a key Russian oil refinery based in the city of Kamensk-Shakhtinsky in Rostov Region.

According to Shiman, without this missile, it would be impossible “to hit the enemy’s rear”.

The statement followed a local news outlet Glavred citing political analyst Taras Zagorodniy as saying in November that Kiev needs to create missiles capable of reaching Russian nuclear power plants.

“Two regiments of 200 such missiles could be a powerful force to help cause damage to Russia. And it will be almost a nuclear weapon [because] one such missile may strike at a nuclear power plant located on Russian territory; it will actually be an atomic explosion”, Zagorodniy said.

This escalation in the narrative used by local media came amid simmering tensions between Moscow and Kiev.