Vladimir Putin threatened last night to turn Kyiv ‘into dust’ if Ukraine fires more UK and US rockets into Russia.
He pledged to unleash his hypersonic Oreshnik missiles on the capital as his forces conducted another devastating attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
In the past two days, Russia has launched 100 missiles and 466 drones at Ukraine, killing civilians and causing blackouts that have left more than a million people without power.
Putin, during a visit to Kazakhstan, said the onslaught was in retaliation for ‘ongoing strikes on Russian territory with long-range Western-made missiles’ which include the British Storm Shadows. And he added: ‘As I have said many times, there will always be a response from our side.’
His threat to destroy targets in Kyiv would represent a dramatic escalation of the conflict.
Putin went on to say: ‘The Defence Ministry and General Staff are selecting targets. These may include decision-making centres in Kyiv, military facilities and defence industry enterprises.
‘It will be up to us to choose the means of destruction, including possible continuation of Oreshnik tests in combat conditions.
‘The temperature of the striking elements reaches 4,000 degrees. Everything at the epicentre of the [Oreshnik] blasts disintegrates into fractions and elementary particles. Essentially, it turns to dust.’
Vladimir Putin threatened last night to turn Kyiv ‘into dust’ if Ukraine fires more UK and US rockets into Russia
Homes damaged by a Russian missile in Odesa. In the past two days, Russia has launched 100 missiles and 466 drones at Ukraine, killing civilians and causing blackouts that have left more than a million people without power
n this photo taken from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry of a Russian air force jet dropping bombs on Ukrainian positions at an undisclosed location
People take shelter in a metro station in Kyiv. Putin pledged to unleash his hypersonic Oreshnik missiles on the capital as his forces conducted another devastating attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure
The nuclear-capable Oreshnik, which could reach London as it has a range of up to 3,000 miles, was first used on November 21 when it struck a cruise missile assembly plant in Dnipro.
Putin also boasted Russia has begun ‘serial production’ of the Oreshnik, which has a top speed of 7,610mph and is undetectable in flight. He claimed his forces struck 17 Ukrainian targets while Kyiv said it intercepted 76 cruise missiles and 32 drones.
Sir Keir Starmer described as ‘depraved’ Russia’s attacks and threats.
The Prime Minister spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky yesterday and pledged to put the country ‘in the best possible position ahead of another challenging winter of conflict’.
Russia’s ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin boasted last night about the progress of Kremlin troops, stating: ‘Our liberation of the territories is proceeding quicker and quicker.’
He dashed hope of a peace deal based on ‘freezing the battlefield’ by which both sides retain the territory they currently occupy.
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