Russian ruler Vladimir Putin has pledged retaliation after Ukrainian drones struck the town of Kazan within the Tatarstan area, threatening to carry extra “destruction” to Kyiv. However, Russia lacks the capability for vital escalation, stated Serhii Zgurets, the pinnacle of Defense Express, based on Espreso.
In latest months, Russia has intensified its drone assaults on Ukraine, using varied kinds of drones, together with Iranian-made Shaheds, to strike crucial infrastructure and concrete areas. Conversely, Ukraine has additionally ramped up its drone capabilities, launching long-range strikes deep into Russian territory. Notable assaults have focused gas crops, logistics hubs, and ammunition depots.
On 21 December, a collection of drone strikes hit Kazan, with not less than seven explosions focusing on the town. Some struck residential areas, together with a 32-story luxurious constructing, whereas Russian authorities additionally reported injury to an industrial facility.
Kazan, situated in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan, hosts the Kazan Powder Plant, a crucial enterprise within the nation’s military-industrial complicated. It makes a speciality of producing explosives, missile propellants, and different key parts for the Russian navy, Ukrainska Pravda informs.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation underneath Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, famous that the plant is crucial for supplying munitions and supplies for missiles, together with Kalibr and Iskander methods.
Local residents reported listening to loud blasts from the plant all through the day.
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened that Ukraine would face destruction after the assaults, ignoring the in depth injury inflicted on Ukraine throughout practically three years of its all-out conflict.
At this level, there’s no sense in attempting to intimidate Ukraine, as Russia has primarily exhausted all its arsenals aside from nuclear weapons, stated Serhii Zgurets from Defense Express.
“This consists of strategic bombers with cruise missiles, the complete vary of long-range weaponry like pseudo-hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, and even makes an attempt at psychological intimidation with methods like Oreshnik. All of those have already been deployed by Russia. I see no new capability for Russia to escalate strikes on our cities, as their operational depth has already peaked,” he emphasised.
On 23 December, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence company (HUR) reported {that a} warehouse containing parts for Iranian-designed assault drones was destroyed at Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Tatarstan.
The zone hosts the Yelabuga drone manufacturing facility, situated roughly 1,200 kilometers from the Russia-Ukraine border. Launched in July 2023, the power produces each localized Iranian-designed Shahed drones and Albatross reconnaissance drones, utilizing each native and overseas staff.
The intelligence directorate estimated the losses at $16 million and described the incident as “one other blow to the terrorist Russia’s military-industrial complicated.”
In April 2024, the authorities of Tatarstan reported drone assaults on amenities in Yelabuga and Nizhnekamsk. The assaults brought about explosions and resulted in casualties. Ukrainian intelligence sources knowledgeable Ukrainska Pravda that the strikes had been carried out by Ukraine’s HUR utilizing giant, aircraft-like drones.
After these strikes, Putin didn’t make any public statements. However, following Russia’s use of a Kedr intermediate-range missile, referred to as by Russia’s president as “Oreshnik,” on Ukraine’s metropolis of Dnipro, his threats in direction of Kyiv have intensified.
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