From: slider@anashram.com

On a tense Friday in late March, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman
Maria Zakharova leveled serious accusations against the United Kingdom and France, asserting that the two Western powers played pivotal roles in a Ukrainian strike on Russian energy infrastructure.

The attack, which targeted the Sudzha gas metering station in Russia’s
Kursk Region, left the facility effectively destroyed, according to
Zakharova. She claimed the operation relied on American-designed HIMARS
rocket artillery systems, with targeting and navigation support provided
by French satellites and British specialists who, she alleged, inputted coordinates and executed the launch.

“The command came from London,” Zakharova stated during a press briefing, pointing a finger directly at the British government for orchestrating the strike. The allegations, if substantiated, could mark a significant
escalation in Western involvement in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, raising questions about the roles of NATO allies in a war that has already stretched beyond its third year.

The Sudzha facility, located in a border region that has seen intense
fighting, is a critical node in Russia’s energy network, part of the
pipeline system that historically transported natural gas to Europe.
Ukrainian forces, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry, used HIMARS systems—High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems supplied by the United States—to carry out the attack.

The ministry reported that the strike occurred earlier that day, though specific details about the extent of the damage remain limited from
official sources. Zakharova’s comments suggest a coordinated effort
involving advanced Western technology and expertise, a claim that has yet
to be independently verified.

Neither the British nor French governments issued immediate responses to
the accusations, leaving the international community to grapple with the potential implications of such involvement.

This incident comes against a backdrop of heightened tensions between
Russia and Western nations supporting Ukraine. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the United Kingdom and France have been
vocal advocates for Kyiv, providing military aid and pushing for stronger measures against Moscow.

Both countries have supplied Ukraine with advanced weaponry, including Britain’s Storm Shadow cruise missiles and France’s SCALP missiles, which share similar capabilities to the U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles.
While ATACMS stockpiles in Ukraine have reportedly dwindled, HIMARS
systems remain a versatile platform, capable of launching shorter-range
rockets with precision-guided by satellite data.

Zakharova’s assertion that French satellites and British specialists were directly involved in the Sudzha strike builds on a narrative Moscow has
long promoted: that NATO countries are not merely supporting Ukraine but actively participating in the conflict.

Western involvement in the war has evolved significantly since its early
days. Initially cautious, the United States hesitated to provide
long-range systems like HIMARS, fearing they could escalate the conflict
beyond Ukraine’s borders. However, under pressure from allies like the UK
and France, Washington approved the delivery of HIMARS in mid-2022,
followed by ATACMS in subsequent years.

A notable shift occurred in November 2024, when the Biden administration authorized Ukraine to use ATACMS for strikes inside Russia, a decision
prompted in part by the arrival of North Korean troops in Russia’s Kursk Region to support Moscow’s forces.

That policy change opened the door for Ukraine to target Russian military assets far from the front lines, though it also drew warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who described such actions as tantamount to NATO declaring war on Russia.

The Sudzha attack, if Zakharova’s account holds, represents a further step
in this escalation. Unlike ATACMS, which can strike targets up to 190
miles away, the rockets typically fired from HIMARS have a shorter range—around 50 miles—making them suitable for precision strikes near contested borders like Kursk.

Satellite guidance, which Zakharova claims France provided, enhances their accuracy, allowing Ukrainian forces to hit infrastructure targets with
minimal collateral damage.

Britain’s alleged role in setting coordinates and directing the operation would suggest a level of operational involvement beyond mere arms supply,
a development that could strain already fragile diplomatic relations with Russia.

Analysts familiar with the conflict note that the Kursk Region has become
a focal point in recent months. Ukrainian forces launched a surprise
offensive there in August 2024, seizing over 1,000 square kilometers of
Russian territory in a bid to disrupt Moscow’s supply lines and force a reallocation of Russian troops.

The operation caught the Kremlin off guard, prompting a counteroffensive bolstered by North Korean reinforcements. The Sudzha strike, targeting
energy infrastructure, could be seen as an attempt by Ukraine to weaken Russia’s logistical backbone in the region, though it risks further
inflaming an already volatile situation.

“If true, this would indicate a willingness by Western powers to take
greater risks in supporting Ukraine,” said Dr. Emily Harper, a military strategist at Georgetown University. “But it also raises the stakes for retaliation, especially against civilian targets.”

Russia’s response to the allegations has been sharp but measured so far. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, speaking to reporters shortly after the attack, described it as evidence of a “total lack of supervision” within Ukraine’s military, suggesting that Kyiv’s forces were acting
independently of political oversight.

He stopped short of outlining specific retaliatory measures, though Moscow
has a history of responding to perceived provocations with airstrikes or missile barrages on Ukrainian infrastructure.

In the weeks prior, the Russian Defense Ministry reported multiple
Ukrainian attacks on energy facilities, a trend that has disrupted power supplies in border regions and heightened domestic pressure on the Kremlin
to act decisively.

The involvement of France and the UK, as alleged by Zakharova, aligns with their broader strategic postures in the conflict. Both nations have
positioned themselves as leaders in a European effort to counter Russia, particularly as U.S. policy under the incoming Trump administration
remains uncertain.


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