Ukraine launched long-range strikes on industrial sites in several Russian regions and held talks with top German and French officials, as Nato began a patrol mission in the Baltic amid suspicion that Moscow is behind damage to important undersea cables.
“The Ukrainian defence forces conducted their most massive strike on military facilities of the occupiers at a range of 200km to 1,100km inside the Russian Federation. Targets in the Bryansk, Saratov and Tula regions and the Republic of Tatarstan were hit,” Ukraine’s military said on Tuesday after the overnight barrage.
The sites struck included factories producing chemicals and armaments for Russia’s military and oil facilities supplying its air force, Kyiv said.
Video posted online by local residents showed large fires at several factories, but Russian officials claimed that all Ukrainian missiles and drones had been intercepted.
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Kyiv did not say what weapons it used for the attacks, but Russia said it had employed US-made Atacms ballistic missiles and British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles, as well as about 150 strike drones.
“The actions of the Kyiv regime, supported by its Western handlers, will not go unanswered,” the Russian defence ministry said.
When Kyiv first used western-supplied rockets to strike deep inside Russia last November, Moscow responded by hitting a defence plant in the city of Dnipro in eastern Ukraine with what it called an experimental new ballistic missile called “Oreshnik”.
Air defence systems were active and small-arms fire crackled over Kyiv late on Monday night, when Ukraine said it shot down or jammed 58 of 80 drones fired by Russia, while a further 21 “decoy” drones crashed without causing damage.
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he spoke to French counterpart Emmanuel Macron about “the French initiative to deploy military contingents in Ukraine ... practical steps for its implementation, potential expansion and the involvement of other nations in this effort”.
[ Ukraine offers to swap North Korean troops as Russia and Iran plan deeper tiesOpens in new window ]
Several European states are believed to be considering possible involvement in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine if incoming US president Donald Trump makes good on a pledge to end Europe’s biggest war in 80 years.
German defence minister Boris Pistorius held talks in Kyiv on Tuesday, and said he wanted “to make it very clear ... that we will continue to stand by Ukraine”.
[ Kremlin says Putin ready to meet Trump and sees divisions growing in the WestOpens in new window ]
Nato launched a patrol mission involving ships, planes and drones in the Baltic Sea following a spate of incidents involving civilian ships that have damaged undersea energy and communications cables, which the West blames on Russia.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said the alliance would not tolerate attacks on its critical infrastructure, and would “do everything in our power to make sure we fight back, that we are able to see what is happening and then take the next steps to make sure that doesn’t happen again”.
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