Explosions on two bridges to Crimea Sunday were caused by Storm Shadow long-range missiles supplied to Ukraine by the United Kingdom, according to Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed acting head of Kherson region.
Saldo said the two bridges were used by civilian and not military traffic, and that a rupture to a gas pipeline running alongside the bridge cut off supplies to 20,000 residents of the city of Henichesk in Kherson.
Saldo said the attack targeted civilians and did not impact military operations.
"These strikes do not do anything for the special military operation that is currently underway," he said. "They have decided to take petty revenge on civilians and those who are now moving through the territory of the Kherson region," Saldo added.
The Russia-backed leader said the missiles did not cause structural damage to the Chonhar bridge, which links the Kherson region and Crimea. The bridge is now closed to traffic, but Saldo predicted it would reopen by the end of the day.
CNN cannot independently verify Saldo's claims, and Ukraine has not immediately commented on the attacks.
About the Storm Shadow missiles: In May, the United Kingdom delivered multiple Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine, giving the nation a new long-range strike capability to use during the counteroffensive against Russian forces, senior Western officials said.
The Storm Shadow is a long-range cruise missile with stealth capabilities, jointly developed by the UK and France, which is typically launched from the air. With a firing range in excess of 250 kilometers (155 miles), it is just short of the 185-mile range capability of the US-made Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, that Ukraine has long asked for.
The extended range gives Ukraine the ability to strike deep into Russian-held territory in eastern Ukraine.
CNN's Jim Sciutto contributed to this report.