Russian military retaliated against Kiev's ‘terrorism'
The Russian military has said its forces carried out large-scale overnight strikes against Ukrainian defense industry sites, using drones and long-range precision-guided weapons.
Ukrainian officials also reported waves of missile and drone attacks across multiple cities, including the capital Kiev, as well as Lviv and Lutsk on Friday morning. The barrage, which included air-, sea-, and land-based missiles as well as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), was a response to recent 'terrorist acts' carried out by Kiev, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Friday. Ukraine blew up railway bridges in Russia last week, derailing civilian and freight trains and killing at least seven and injuring over 120. Kiev also launched a coordinated drone strike on multiple Russian airbases, targeting long-range, nuclear-capable bombers stationed in Russia's north and far east. Moscow has claimed that most drones were intercepted and the aircraft targeted was damaged by not destroyed.
The targets of Russia's overnight strikes included 'design bureaus, enterprises involved in production and repair of Ukraine's weapons and military equipment, workshops for the assembly of attack drones, flight training centers as well as warehouses of weapons and military equipment,' the statement read. 'The goal of the strike was achieved. All designated facilities were hit,' the ministry said.
According to Moscow, it was the sixth combined strike against Ukraine's military-related targets carried out by the Russian forces since May 31. Over the past week, attacks have hit Kiev's defense industry enterprises; military airfields; production, storage and launch sites of drones; arms depots as well as deployment points of Ukrainian military units and foreign mercenaries, according to the ministry. Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the railway sabotage incidents as 'undoubtedly a terrorist act' committed by the 'illegitimate regime in Kiev,' which, he said, is 'gradually turning into a terrorist organization.' Putin told his US counterpart Donald Trump in a phone call on Wednesday that Moscow 'will have to respond' to the attacks on the country's nuclear deterrent.
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