Ukraine hits Russian targets in ‘massive’ attack

Ukraine fired missiles and drones at factories and energy facilities across Russia early on Tuesday, sparking fires hundreds of kilometres from the frontline, a source in Ukraine’s SBU security services said.

The Russian military accused Kyiv of using US- and British-supplied missiles and promised the strikes would “not go unanswered.”

The barrage forced schools in the southwestern Saratov region to close, while at least nine airports in central and western Russia temporarily halted traffic, according to Russian officials.

Moscow and Kyiv have upped strikes on one another ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration next week, as both sides seek to gain the upper hand in potential negotiations aimed at settling the nearly three-year war.

There were explosions at “chemical plants, oil refineries and warehouses” in Russia overnight, a source in Ukraine’s SBU security services told reporters, saying Kyiv had hit “Russian military-industrial complex” sites.

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius (right) and Volodymyr Zelensky meet in Kyiv on Tuesday. Reuters

Among the targets hit early on Tuesday were chemical plants in the western regions of Tula and Bryansk, the source added.

In the Saratov region, more than 600 kilometres southeast of Moscow, Kyiv struck an oil refinery and an arms depot, the SBU source said.

Regional governor Roman Busargin said the scale of the attack was “massive.”

Schools in the cities of Saratov and Engels will hold classes online on Tuesday because of the attacks, he added.

Firefighters had only the day before managed to put out a blaze at an oil depot in the city of Engels, which was hit by a Ukrainian drone strike on Jan.8.

In the energy-rich region of Tatarstan, a drone struck a gas storage tank, sending flames and thick smoke billowing towards the sky near the city of Kazan, according to media and the regional government.

Tatarstan local media said a liquefied gas storage base was hit, and published images showing flames and black smoke.

Russia’s defence ministry said it shot down six US-supplied ATACMS missiles and six British Storm Shadow cruise missiles that Ukraine had fired at the Bryansk border region.

Ukraine’s army had earlier claimed a “successful” missile hit on a chemical plant in the region which makes rocket fuel and explosives for Russia’s army.

Agence France-Presse