On Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Ukraine even more “destruction” after a drone attack the day before against buildings in Kazan, a city in central Russia, an attack that Moscow blamed on Kyiv.
“Anyone who attempts to destroy anything in our country, no matter how small, will face much greater destruction in their own country and will regret what they tried to do to our country,” he said. he declared during an official ceremony while commenting on Saturday's strike in Kazan, about 1,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
This attack targeted residential buildings without causing any casualties, according to local authorities.
Impressive images, which circulated on Russian social networks, showed drones hitting tall glass buildings in a ball of fire.
Ukraine has not commented on the attack or the Russian accusations.
Kyiv regularly carries out strikes in Russia, often against oil or industrial targets, in response to Russian air attacks and the assault launched by the Kremlin against its territory almost three years ago.
It is rarer for Ukraine to be accused of attacks on residential buildings so far from its borders.
In recent weeks, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened to strike the center of Kyiv with his new and powerful “Orechnik” missile, used for the first time in November.
His army's near-continuous airstrikes have brought Ukraine's energy system to its knees, confronting the country with regular power outages in the middle of winter.
Acceleration on the front
On the front, the Russian army is advancing rapidly, particularly in the eastern region of Donetsk, the hot spot of fighting.
Russian troops have again captured the villages of Lozova in the Kharkiv region, and Sontsivka near the industrial town of Kurakhové in the Donetsk region, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Sunday.
Sontsivka is close to Kurakhové, which the Russian army has almost surrounded and which constitutes one of the key sectors of the fighting.
Russia has accelerated its advance into eastern Ukraine in recent months, seeking to gain as much territory as possible before future US President Donald Trump takes power in January.
The Republican promised to quickly put an end to this conflict which has lasted for almost three years, without ever really explaining how he intended to proceed.
The vagueness surrounding this plan is enough to give Ukraine a cold sweat, which, given its current military difficulties, fears being forced into an agreement that is unfavorable to it.
Russian troops say they have captured more than 190 Ukrainian towns this year. Opposite, Kyiv is trying to put up a front, despite the shortage of manpower and ammunition.
