New Delhi: After Russia’s flagship of the Black Sea warship sank, the Russian defence ministry on Friday warned of intensifying attacks on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in response to strikes on Russian soil, after accusing Ukraine of targeting Russian border towns.
“The number and scale of missile strikes against targets in Kyiv will increase in response to any terrorist attacks or sabotage committed by the Kyiv nationalist regime on Russian territory,” the ministry said in its daily update.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Russian troops hit a “military” factory outside Kyiv late Thursday using Kalibr sea-based long-range missiles.
- Russian Defence Ministry also said that S-400 missile system shot down a Ukrainian Mi-8 helicopter that carried out “an attack on civilians in the locality of Klimovo in Bryansk region on April 14”.
- Meanwhie, Kyiv has denied the helicopter attack, instead accusing Russia of staging the incidents to stir up “anti-Ukrainian hysteria” in the country.
- US announced an additional $800 million worth of military aid.
- The military aid includes 18 155mm howitzers and 40,000 artillery rounds, 200 M113 armoured personnel carriers, and 11 Mi-17 helicopters.
- The Biden administration is considering sending a high-level official to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
- No final decision on the deligation but it could be President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken or Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
- Ukraine told Russia to release prisoners of war if it wants President Putin’s most high-profile ally.
- Viktor Medvedchuk was captured by the Ukrainian authorities on Tuesday.
- Zelenskyy posted a photo of Medvedchuk on his Instagram account and wrote – “I propose to the Russian Federation: exchange this guy of yours for our guys and girls now held in Russian captivity.”
- The United States is likely to announce a new military aid package worth $750 million for Ukraine
- Putin on Tuesday clarified that the Russian offensive in east Ukraine will continue till his goals were met.
- The Russian president also claimed that photos and videos from the Bucha were fake.
- Putin also responded to the sanctions from the west by saying that it is impossible to isolate Russia.”We don’t intend to be isolated. It is impossible to severely isolate anyone in the modern world – especially such a vast country as Russia,” he was quoted as saying in reports.