Ukraine launched missile and drone attacks on occupied Crimea and the Russian border city of Belgorod overnight in an apparent retaliation for a string of aerial assaults by Moscow’s forces.

Loud explosions were heard in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol after what one Russian blogger said was a salvo of British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles.

Moscow-appointed local official Mikhail Razvozhaev said a missile had been intercepted and that there were no casualties or damage.

A number of drones and 12 missiles were also shot down over Belgorod by anti-air defences, Russia’s defence ministry and governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.

The border city, situated about 20 miles from Ukraine’s north-eastern border, was also targeted in attacks on Saturday and Tuesday.

Russia has launched a series of major drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent days, prompting Kyiv to intensify its calls for more weapons and ammunition from the West.

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