MOSCOW, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Russia launched a group strike with long-range precision weapons on Friday morning in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on its chemical plant with Western-made missiles.

The strike targeted the Ukrainian Security Service command post, the state-run Kiev design bureau "Luch," and positions of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

It said the raid was in response to Ukraine's Wednesday attack on a Russian chemical plant in the Rostov region with six U.S.-made ATACMS tactical missiles and four Storm Shadow air-launched cruise missiles.

Ukraine's General Staff of the Armed Forces said on Telegram that five Russian missiles targeted Kiev but were shot down by Ukrainian air defense at around 7 a.m. (0500 GMT).

The fragments of downed missiles resulted in deaths and injuries as well as damage in five districts of Kiev, it said.

In a major shift of policy on the Ukraine crisis, the United States in November authorized Ukraine to use U.S. long-range missiles to strike targets in Russia, triggering an escalation of tension around the conflict. Enditem

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