Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed severe retaliation following an attack by Ukrainian drones on residential buildings in Kazan, located in Russia’s Tatarstan region.
Speaking via videolink on Sunday during a road-opening ceremony with Tatarstan’s local leader, Putin warned that those who attempt to destroy Russia would face far greater destruction in return.
“Whoever, and however much they try to destroy, they will face many times more destruction themselves and will regret what they are trying to do in our country,” he said.
On Saturday morning, six Ukrainian drones targeted residential buildings in Kazan, while a seventh struck an industrial facility.
Although no official injuries were reported, media outlets indicated that three people suffered cuts from shattered glass. Videos circulating on Russian social media showed drones hitting a high-rise building, causing fireballs, though no casualties were reported.
Kazan is located over 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from the Ukrainian border. While Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack, it is believed to be a response to Russian missile strikes on Kyiv.
Putin’s threat of retaliation follows Russia’s claims of recent battlefield advances in eastern Ukraine. The Russian Ministry of Defence reported that its troops had “liberated” the villages of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region and Krasnoye (Sontsivka in Ukraine), which is near the key resource hub of Kurakhove. Russia is aiming to encircle Kurakhove as part of its broader strategy to capture the entire Donetsk region.
Russia has intensified its offensive in eastern Ukraine in recent months, aiming to secure as much territory as possible before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. Trump has promised to swiftly end the nearly three-year conflict, though he has not outlined specific terms for a ceasefire or peace agreement.
Moscow claims to have seized more than 190 Ukrainian settlements this year, while Kyiv continues to struggle with manpower and ammunition shortages in its defense efforts.
