Kyiv: The Kremlin said on Monday that Ukrainian drones attacked two air bases inside Russian territory, shortly before Russian forces fired a massive missile barrage into Ukraine, hitting homes and buildings and killing civilians. Were. The unprecedented attack in Russia threatened a major escalation of the nine-month war as it struck airfields housing bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons. President Vladimir Putin has threatened to use all available means to defend his lands, a comment many have interpreted to include nuclear weapons. Russia is resuming almost weekly bombings of Ukraine in retaliation for another daring attack, the October 8 truck bombing of a key bridge linking mainland Ukraine to the Crimean peninsula.
On Monday, Putin tried to show that his country could overcome that embarrassment by driving a car across a partially repaired bridge. Putin personally opened the 19-kilometer bridge in 2018 in a costly effort to strengthen his claim to Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
In Monday’s retaliation, missiles knocked out basic services in several regions of Ukraine, Moscow’s strategy to inflict more pain as winter approaches. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday’s barrage killed four people.
Ukraine’s air force claimed it shot down more than 60 of the 70 missiles, and Zelensky again showed defiance, praising workers who immediately tried to restore power. “Every shot down Russian missile is concrete proof that terror can be defeated,” Zelensky said in his nightly address.
Ukraine said early indications showed Russia fired 38 cruise missiles from carriers in the Caspian Sea and the southern Rostov region. In addition, 22 Caliber cruise missiles were fired from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, and long-range bombers, fighter jets and guided missiles were also involved.
Electricity provider Ukrainergo said its facilities had been affected, triggering some blackouts, although the prime minister later said electricity facilities were damaged in only three areas, not as widespread as in previous attacks.
In the capital of Kyiv, a large number of people filled the central Zloty Vorota metro station following an air raid warning. There were no immediate signs of tremors in the city or the surrounding area. Ukrainian media reported explosions in Cherkasy, Krivy Rih and Odessa, south of Kyiv. Authorities said water, electricity and central heating were cut off in many parts of Odessa.
“The enemy is again attacking the territory of Ukraine with missiles!” Kirill Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office, wrote on Telegram.
In neighboring Moldova, the interior ministry said on its Facebook page that border patrol officers had found a rocket in an orchard near the northern city of Briseni, near the border with Ukraine. A bomb disposal squad went to the scene, but it was not immediately clear when the rocket went off or who fired it.
Giving details of the attacks on the airports, the Russian Defense Ministry said it had shot down two Ukrainian drones. It said three Russian soldiers were killed and four others were injured by the debris, and two aircraft were slightly damaged.
The ministry said the attacks on the Engels base in the Saratov region on the Volga River and the Diaghilev base in the Ryazan region in western Russia were part of Ukraine’s efforts to reduce Russia’s long-range bomber force.
Engels Base, located more than 600 kilometers (over 370 mi) east of the border with Ukraine, houses Tu-95 and Tu-160 nuclear-capable strategic bombers that have been involved in launching attacks on Ukraine . Diaghilev Air Base, which houses tankers used to refuel other aircraft in flight, is about 500 kilometers (over 300 mi) northeast of the Ukrainian border.
The attacks showed the vulnerability of some of Russia’s most strategic military sites, raising questions about the effectiveness of their air defenses if drones could get so close to them.
The ministry did not say where the drones came from, but Russian military bloggers said they were likely launched by Ukrainian scouts. Russian news agencies had earlier reported the explosions at both sites, giving slightly different details than the Defense Ministry’s on casualties.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine published a photo purporting to show blood on the snow under a military vehicle at an air base. The authenticity of the photo could not be verified.
Zelensky’s adviser, Mykhailo Podolić, trolled the Russians over the drone strike on Engels, stopping short of claiming responsibility. “If something is launched into the airspace of other countries, sooner or later the unidentified flying objects will return to the departure point,” Podolić tweeted.
In other incidents, Zelensky’s office said three rockets struck his hometown of Kryvyi Rih in south-central Ukraine, killing a factory worker and injuring three others. One person was killed in attacks by S-300 missiles on civilian infrastructure in the city of Kupiansk, in the region northeast of Kharkiv.
The war, which began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, has displaced millions of people from their homes, killed and wounded thousands, and shaken the world economy, driving up the price of food, fertilizer and fuel. reduced availability. Major exports are from Ukraine and Russia.
Western countries on Monday imposed a $60 a barrel price cap and sanctions on some types of Russian oil, part of new measures aimed at increasing pressure on Moscow over the war. The Kremlin rejected the move and Zelensky called it insufficient.
Alexander Novak, the Russian deputy prime minister in charge of energy, warned on Sunday that Russia would not sell its oil to countries that try to impose price caps. “We will only sell oil and oil products to countries that will work with us on market terms, even if we have to reduce production somewhat,” Novak said. In another move that took effect on Monday, the 27-nation European bloc imposed sanctions on Russian oil shipped by sea. Russia, the world’s No. 2 oil producer, relies on oil and gas to power its economy, which is already subject to widespread international sanctions.