Sharjah 24 – AFP: Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed on Sunday to retaliate with even more "destruction" following a drone attack on Kazan, a city located in central Russia, which occurred the previous day.
Russia accused Ukraine of launching a "massive" drone strike that targeted a luxury apartment block in Kazan, approximately 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Videos circulating on Russian social media depicted drones hitting a high-rise glass building, igniting fireballs, though no casualties were reported from the attack.
Putin addressed the situation during a televised government meeting, stating, "Whoever, and however much they try to destroy, they will face many times more destruction themselves and will regret what they are trying to do in our country."
The strike on Kazan marks the latest escalation in a series of aerial attacks during the ongoing conflict, now in its nearly three-year duration. Ukraine has yet to comment on the incident.
Putin’s retaliatory threats
Putin has previously warned of targeting central Kyiv with hypersonic ballistic missiles in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory. Russian authorities have also justified recent strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities as counterattacks for Ukraine’s use of Western-supplied missiles to target Russian air bases and arms factories.
Russian military advances in eastern Ukraine
Meanwhile, Russia has claimed new territorial gains in eastern Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defence reported the capture of the villages of Lozova in Kharkiv and Krasnoye (known as Sontsivka in Ukraine), with the latter bringing Russian forces closer to the resource-rich city of Kurakhove, which Moscow is aiming to encircle as part of its broader effort to seize the entire Donetsk region.
Russia has intensified its military operations in eastern Ukraine in recent months, seeking to secure more territory before the potential shift in U.S. leadership in January.
Allegations of war crimes
Ukraine also accused Russian forces of executing captured Ukrainian soldiers, labeling the act as a violation of war crimes. A video posted by Ukraine’s 110th separate mechanized brigade purportedly showed Russian soldiers shooting captured Ukrainian soldiers at point-blank range after they had surrendered. The video, which was taken from a drone’s aerial footage, has not been independently verified by AFP.
This is the latest in a series of similar war crimes allegations made by Ukraine throughout the conflict.
For an optimal experience, please
