Moscow mentioned Tuesday that Ukraine had fired six U.S.-made ATACMS ballistic missiles, six UK-made Storm Shadow cruise missiles and a minimum of 146 drones into Russia in an assault that it mentioned wouldn’t go unanswered.
After Ukraine first launched ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles into Russia final 12 months, Moscow responded on Nov. 21 by launching a brand new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile often called “Oreshnik,” or Hazel Tree, at Ukraine.
Russia’s protection ministry mentioned it had shot down the entire Western missiles fired by Ukraine on the Bryansk area, in addition to 146 drones exterior the struggle zone. It mentioned two extra Storm Shadows had been shot down over the Black Sea.
“The actions of the Kyiv regime, supported by its Western curators, won’t go unanswered,” the protection ministry mentioned.
President Vladimir Putin mentioned in November that the Ukraine struggle was escalating towards a worldwide battle after the United States and Britain allowed Ukraine for the primary time to launch their missiles deep inside Russia.
President-elect Donald Trump has pushed for a ceasefire and negotiations to finish the struggle shortly, leaving Washington’s long-term assist for Ukraine in query.
Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has left tens of 1000’s of useless, displaced tens of millions and triggered the most important disaster in relations between Moscow and the West because the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
The drone assault on Russia was one of many largest so far.
Roman Busargin, governor of the Saratov area about 450 miles southeast of Moscow, mentioned the cities of Saratov and Engels, on reverse banks of the Volga River, had been subjected to a mass drone assault and there was injury to 2 industrial websites. Schools had shifted to distant studying, he mentioned.
Ukraine attacked the identical area final week and claimed to have struck an oil depot serving an airbase for Russian nuclear bomber planes, inflicting an enormous hearth that took 5 days to place out.
The drone assault struck a munitions storage facility holding guided bombs and missiles on the Engels airbase in Russia’s Saratov area in addition to different targets, a supply within the Security Service of Ukraine mentioned on Tuesday.
The assault triggered a big hearth on the Aleksinsky chemical plant within the Tula area and a hearth on the Saratovsky oil refinery, whereas the Bryansk chemical plant was additionally hit, the supply mentioned. Reuters couldn’t independently confirm the claims of injury.
The supply mentioned there had been subsequent detonations on the Bryansk chemical plant in addition to a big hearth. The operation was performed by the SBU and Ukraine’s defence forces, the Ukrainian supply instructed Reuters from Kyiv.
Flight restrictions have been imposed at airports in Kazan, Saratov, Penza, Ulyanovsk and Nizhnekamsk, Russia’s aviation watchdog mentioned.
